My friend and I are US Citizens and after graduating this coming Fall we plan on traveling to Portugal. We want to work once we are there, but do not have job offers and plan on acquiring bar tending jobs, waitressing jobs or something else that we can come across once we are there. I fully understand the Schengen 90 visa rules, but what if we want to stay longer? I would like to apply for a temporary residence visa, but I need a written letter from an employer and I will not have that seeing as I don't plan on getting a job until after reaching Portugal. What should I do? Is there a way I can get a temporary residence visa without having a job first? Or do I need to get a Schengen visa and then apply for temporary residence after acquiring a job (and a working visa?)
Portugal - 3 Answers
Random Answers, Critics, Comments, Opinions :
1 :
Good luck with that. It's hard enough for local nationals to get work anyplace given the current economic situation, so I don't think you stand a snowball's chance in hell of getting any kind of work whatsoever. No, you can't get a temporary visa. If you really want to stay in Portugal, look into being an au pair.
2 :
You better try to ask on a portuguese consulate, good luck.
3 :
Orla is completely right. Its a good place to live but hard to get work. And those that have work are struggling. Plus in order to get a visa you have to have a job, or a job offer to start with. All the documentation necessary afterwards will be supplied to you by the company you are working for. And the about the au pairs, its a phenomenon how most of them in Lisbon seem to be from Brazil. I really reespect them because, brazillians will get any respectable job to survive. Respect mates. Cheers buddy.
