My girlfriend and I were researching jobs available in Portugal for foreigners and found this website ([https://beportugal.com/jobs-for-foreigners-in-portugal/](https://beportugal.com/jobs-for-foreigners-in-portugal/)). The website (and several others) say “Some of the most in demand job roles for foreigners in Portugal are:…waitstaff, bartenders, customer support at call centers…”.

I have heard of and can understand visa sponsorship for high skill in-demand positions before but not entry-level jobs.

How does one get a job for waitstaff or customer support as a foreign national who has to get an offer letter and then get approved for a work visa. I’m having a hard-time thinking that companies for these entry level positons what to go through the hassle of doing foreign sponsorship and waiting 2-3 months for the visa to be approved. Am I wrong? I know it “can” be done, but do companies actually do this?

FYI – She is from Mozambique and is fluent in Portuguese and has good English speaking skills.

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Google translation below \ Tradução do Google abaixo
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A minha namorada e eu estávamos a pesquisar empregos disponíveis em Portugal para estrangeiros e encontrámos este site (https://beportugal.com/jobs-for-foreigners-in-portugal/). O site (e vários outros) diz “Algumas das funções de trabalho mais procuradas para estrangeiros em Portugal são:… garçons, bartenders, suporte ao cliente em call centers …”.

Já ouvi falar e posso entender o patrocínio de vistos para cargos de alta demanda de alta qualificação antes, mas não para empregos de nível básico.

Como alguém consegue um emprego para garçons ou suporte ao cliente como um estrangeiro que precisa receber uma carta de oferta e depois ser aprovado para um visto de trabalho. Estou tendo dificuldade em pensar que as empresas para essas posições de nível de entrada devem passar pelo incômodo de fazer patrocínio estrangeiro e esperar 2-3 meses para que o visto seja aprovado. Estou errado? Eu sei que “pode” ser feito, mas as empresas realmente fazem isso?

FYI – Ela é de Moçambique e é fluente em português e tem bons conhecimentos de inglês.

5 comments

  1. This program serves but one purpose: to get fresh chum for the sharks.

    These positions need to be filled because of high turnover; that is why they are in demand. Take a guess. Yes, low salaries, almost no benefits, long hours. So, yes, *scummypreneurs* are always looking for the next batch of cannon fucking fodder.

    And if the recent propaganda parroted across plenty of newspapers achieves its purpose, there will be plenty of companies relying on hiring immigrants only, from third world countries, all lined up for a shot at a Portuguese visa/citizenship, in exchange for minimum wage or a little more than that. Or so daydream Portuguese CEOs, in hopes of continuing to pay low salaries all the while netting record profits.

    Should you work these jobs, the pay will be absolute crap and you will struggle to lead even a frugal life here. Unless you have plenty of savings or the down payment to buy yourselves a nice lil’house right off the bat, you will fall into a debt trap.

    You have been warned.

  2. You have options:
    1. Go through an “agency” like a lot of indians/bangladeshis etc – essentially people trafficking
    2. Arrive as a tourist, get a job, then fill out an MAI (means you want to stay in Portugal), get a job, start paying taxes etc, then get residency on Art 88 or 89.

    The second is a common path for low level or unskilled jobs. Also what the “agencies” will do, and also very common in people from Portuguese speaking countries. I believe at the moment SEF is dealing with applications from January 2021.

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