“On the part of the Government, the political decision, the political conformation and the hiring of resources have been made. Therefore, as the implementation of this agreement can and should be done by administrative entities, I do not see any obstacles to its implementation in the coming weeks”, said Antonio Leitão Amaro.

According to Leitão Amaro, this visa acceleration process aims for companies and employers' confederations to "assume responsible regulated immigration commitments", such as the existence of an employment contract, travel and health insurance, professional training and language teaching obligations and access to adequate accommodation.

“This is an agreement that, for its execution, is implemented by administrative entities. The Government is not part of the agreement”, said Leitão Amaro, adding that the executive did have “a role in designing this new regulated immigration policy”.

At the beginning of December, the Government proposed to employers' confederations, for discussion, a cooperation protocol, with a view to speeding up the hiring of foreign citizens with signed employment contracts.

At the time, the executive claimed that, in order to "satisfy the needs of the national economy", he proposed "an operationalisation channel that does not create new legal entry points, but simultaneously ensures greater speed of procedures and more responsibility and regulation of migratory flows".