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Change in Visa Rules

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croonerjim
  7/13/2017 12:25 EST

Major change....I got an email today from SFO consulate that states they are no longer processing long term visa applications that use a hotel or AirBnB reservation/receipt as proof of accommodation. They want proof of purchase or an actual lease. As a practical matter this is going to make it very difficult for people to apply. They have to find a property and get a lease that starts later and supply that lease to the consulate. Not easy.

karen9093
  7/13/2017 15:18 EST

I just applied for my residence visa and was told it was unlikely that my four months of AirBNB reservations were going to cut it. I am still waiting to hear back, but if I had known in advance that AirBNB wasn't going to be acceptable, I would have sought out other arrangements. Shucks.

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heasley
  7/13/2017 16:32 EST

Whoa, that is huge. We were just approved on July 3 with a combination of AirBnB and hotel reservations. So definitely a recent change. Our application took a long time (Feb 1 - July 3) and we had to lengthen our guaranteed lodging twice. I'm thinking this must have been in the wind and we are lucky to have squeaked through.

I feel for anyone trying to find a long term rental without being here. I'm in the western algarve and long term rentals are really hard to find. Even when a listing comes up people really want to meet face to face, I don't think we would have gotten our place if I hadn't followed up on my email by dropping into the agents office the day after the posting went up. The 12 month rental contract I am due to sign tomorrow also required I have my NIF. If these rules had been in place I'm not sure we would have been able to move here as planned. I really feel for anyone who is starting the process now. My only advice would be to consider timing a move to the Algarve in the off season when 6-8 month contracts are fairly easy to come by and hope that SEF isn't requiring a full 12 months. Such a bummer.

Heather

croonerjim
  7/13/2017 16:53 EST

I just heard back further from the consulate. They said that my proposed 6 month lease with option to renew would be "adequate." Not sure they would approve a 6-8 month lease, which is more typical in the Algarve.

MariaandJim
  7/13/2017 17:56 EST

Yet more info....I asked SFO if a straight 6 month lease without option to renew is OK. They said yes, but ultimately it was up to the inspectors to decide. Not clear why a 6 month lease may be OK but a 6 month AirBnB is not.....

pksolomon
  7/13/2017 18:25 EST

croonerjim and MariaandJim

What prompted this? How did you find out about this new 'law'? Did you call the SF consulate for any specific reason, or did they call you, or did they send you an email?

Have you already submitted all of your papers and/or had the interview at the Consulate?

We did an online application and then had to set up an appointment online - which we did - and received a date at the end of August for an in-person interview and to bring all of our paperwork into the Consulate.

We rented the AirBnB as of Sept. 21st.... is that a viable date, or is it way too soon after the interview to get the visa? We've heard of applicants getting their visas within 2 weeks after they presented their papers.

Help!

Thanks
Philomena

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croonerjim
  7/13/2017 18:35 EST

Our situation is a bit different. We have not yet filed. We were eaiting on a lease (6 months plus option) on a property we found on line through a reputable agency. That process was taking a long time. SO I decide to forget it and go the 6 month AirBnB rote. I emailed SFO to see if 6 months was OK. Then the next morning I booked the AirBnB...not 5 minutes later I got the response from SFO that they were not processing applications with AirBnB as the proof of accommodation. So I immediately cancelled my reservation and the owner fortunately agreed to refund my payment (technically there was a penalty, but he understood). So now we are back to the lease, which should be done shortly. I checked with SFO to be sure our 6 month plus optin was OK and they said yes. I also asked if just stright 6 months would work and they said yes, but it was up to the inspectors, which was not very reassuring. In your case, it appears they will not approve you (we'll see) and if so, you should beg the host to refund your AirBnB payment. In my experience most are very nice about it, particularly when it is because of something like this (a governmental change) as opposed to your just changing your mind. SFO told us 3-4 weeks after submission for the visa, but we are not doing an in person visit. My suggestion is that you email them and tell them you just heard about the new rules and ask what they suggest you do before your visit. My guess is that they will ask you to get a lease agreement. Sometimes the AirBnB host can do that as well.

pksolomon
  7/13/2017 18:54 EST

Thanks croonerjim.

What email address did you use for the SF consulate? I guess it's definitely better to know from now, then wait until the end of August.

Thanks again
Philomena

MariaandJim
  7/13/2017 18:57 EST

[email protected]

pksolomon
  7/13/2017 18:59 EST

Thanks MariaandJim.

Mikeywaz
  7/13/2017 22:43 EST

Wow, that's discouraging. I'd love to hear ideas of how best to secure a long-term rental from the US. We plan to apply for our retirement residency visa as soon as we get our background check back. We are planning to move in November and already have a VRBO place reserved for a month, but will now look into a 6 month lease.

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Portugal Residency Advisors is a full-service consulting firm dedicated to providing personalized services to individuals and families seeking to relocate to Portugal. With a team of experienced professionals and strategic partnerships, we are well-positioned to assist clients with all aspects of the relocation process.

Click connect to have our partner contact you via e-mail and/or phone.

Portugal Residency AdvisorsPortugal Residency Advisors

Portugal Residency Advisors is a full-service consulting firm dedicated to providing personalized services to individuals and families seeking to relocate to Portugal. With a team of experienced professionals and strategic partnerships, we are well-positioned to assist clients with all aspects of the relocation process.
Connect

Click connect to have our partner contact you via e-mail and/or phone.

dancebert
  7/14/2017 01:48 EST

Interesting or essential to know if this is happening only at SFO.

Yes, I know where one lives determines the consulate where one can apply.

Rlf1310
  9/1/2017 02:06 EST

My wife and I just sent in our applications to SFO using a 4 month AirBnB reservation. Our advisor in Portugal tipped us off on this change and negotiated a written contract with the AirBnB owner on our behalf. Too early to report whether this is successful.

BigWorld
  9/1/2017 13:40 EST

Does anyone know if these new rules apply to Golden Visas?

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