If someone enters Portugal as a 'highly qualified professional' (D3 visa) with a job and then attends their SEF appointment in Portugal and receives a residence permit, what happens if they subsequently lose their job? Do they have to leave the country immediately? Or do they have the remaining time on their residence permit (before it needs to be renewed) to find a new job?
To renew a residence permit, the conditions that lead to the first card must continue. In case of labor termination, a new labor contract must be presented, even if it is a standard one and not a highly qualified job position. Residence permit shall be granted accordingly.
As soon as you get the residence permit, you are legal in Portugal, for the period of validity of that permit. It is not necessary to provide constant proof that you maintain employment. In this sense, only when the validity of the title ends and you want to renew it, it is necessary to present new evidence.
Should a holder of a residence permit issued under the D3 visa rules become unemployed, it is not mandatory for him to leave the country immediately, as he will be able to remain here for as long as the residence permit is valid. Even after the residence permit is expired, its holder can renew it, as long as he proves to SEF that he is enrolled in an employment centre and is actively looking for a job.
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