The Scale of the Inherited Backlog
When AIMA replaced SEF in October 2023, it inherited a staggering backlog of over 400,000 pending immigration applications. This number included approximately 440,000 expressions of interest (manifestações de interesse) from people seeking to regularize their stay in Portugal, plus tens of thousands of pending residence permit renewals, family reunification cases, and Golden Visa applications. The backlog was the result of years of increasing immigration to Portugal combined with SEF's limited processing capacity and the disruption caused by the institutional transition itself.
To put this number in perspective, 400,000 pending cases represents roughly 4% of Portugal's total population. Behind each case number is a person whose life has been put on hold, unable to fully participate in Portuguese society, uncertain about their legal status, and often unable to travel, change jobs, or access services that require a valid permit. The backlog became a defining political issue, with opposition parties criticizing the government's handling of immigration and immigrant advocacy groups demanding urgent action to process the accumulated cases.
How Many Cases Have Been Resolved
According to government statements made during the 2026 State Budget hearings, Minister Leitão Amaro claimed that 93% of all pending immigration cases have been resolved. This figure encompasses all case types, not just expressions of interest. AIMA chairman Pedro Portugal Gaspar confirmed that all 440,000 pending expressions of interest have been reviewed. The review process involved assessing whether each expression of interest met the basic requirements for processing and requesting updated documentation from applicants where needed.
The resolution process included processing 500,000 criminal record checks and collecting biometric data from applicants whose cases moved forward to approval. A significant portion of reviewed cases received positive decisions, resulting in residence permits being issued. However, the headline 93% figure masks important nuances about how many of those resolutions were approvals versus archivings, and whether the remaining 7% represents a manageable number or still constitutes tens of thousands of unresolved cases. At 7% of the original volume, that could still be over 30,000 cases actively waiting for resolution.
What Happened to Archived Cases
Of the 440,000 expressions of interest reviewed, approximately 170,000 were archived because applicants failed to respond to AIMA's requests for documentation. This means nearly 40% of the original backlog was resolved not through processing but through what amounts to abandonment. While some of these cases genuinely represent people who left Portugal or found other solutions, the scale of the archiving raises questions about whether all those applicants actually received and understood the requests for documentation, or whether communication failures, language barriers, and AIMA's own notification problems contributed to the high rate.
If your case was archived and you believe you responded to all documentation requests, or if you never received the request in the first place, you may have grounds to challenge the archiving decision. Contact AIMA through the portal and email to request reinstatement, providing evidence that you submitted the required documents or that you were not properly notified. The deadline for challenging archived cases varies, but acting quickly is essential. If AIMA refuses to reinstate your case, legal action through an administrative court may be an option. Some immigration lawyers have successfully challenged archiving decisions on the grounds of inadequate notification procedures.
Golden Visa Backlog Specifically
The Golden Visa backlog is a distinct issue within the broader backlog. These are applications from investors who committed significant capital (minimum €250,000) to Portugal and are often the most frustrated by delays, given the financial stakes involved. In early 2025, AIMA asked all Golden Visa applicants to resubmit their documentation with promises of 30 to 90-day processing. That promise was not met, and the agency has instead been slowly scheduling biometric appointments through early 2026.
The government has pledged to finalize the Golden Visa backlog by the end of 2026, citing a potential €85 million revenue boost from processing the outstanding applications. However, this timeline has been met with skepticism from lawyers and applicants who have heard similar promises before. Immigration lawyers have criticized the timing as politically motivated, suggesting it is designed to show progress during the budget period rather than reflecting genuine operational capacity. A new fully digital Golden Visa platform launched in January 2026, which should improve processing going forward, but the existing backlog of pre-platform applications still requires manual processing and in-person biometric collection.
What 93% Resolution Actually Means
The 93% resolution figure requires careful interpretation. Resolved does not necessarily mean approved. Cases that were archived count as resolved even though the applicant did not receive a permit. Cases that were denied count as resolved. Cases where the applicant was asked to submit a new application under the current rules rather than being processed under the old system may be counted as resolved even though the individual's situation has not actually changed. The true measure of progress is how many people who were waiting have actually received their residence permits, and this number is likely significantly lower than 93% of the total.
For applicants still waiting, the practical question is where their specific case stands. The 93% figure provides little comfort if your case is in the remaining 7%, or if your case was archived incorrectly, or if you are a new applicant dealing with processing times that are still affected by residual backlog effects. Check your case status through the AIMA portal, contact AIMA if no status change has occurred in three months or more, and consider legal action if you have exceeded the statutory processing deadline. The backlog is a system-level problem, but your case requires individual attention and advocacy.
Impact on New Applications
The residual backlog continues to affect processing times for new applications, even though the worst is reportedly behind us. AIMA staff who were dedicated to clearing the backlog are gradually transitioning to processing current applications, but institutional capacity takes time to adjust. New applications submitted through the digital platform enter a queue that still reflects the accumulated demand, and processing times of three to six months for straightforward cases remain the norm rather than the exception.
For new applicants, the most important lesson from the backlog is the importance of submitting complete, correct applications from the start. Any deficiency in your application that requires follow-up adds weeks or months to your processing time and contributes to the ongoing capacity pressure on AIMA. The complete application rule, while frustrating for those who are rejected, serves the systemic goal of reducing the volume of incomplete cases that clog the processing pipeline. Submit your application correctly the first time, track it actively through the portal, and escalate promptly if processing exceeds statutory deadlines, and you will navigate the post-backlog AIMA system as efficiently as possible.