The PP6 Study Visit was hosted by the Immigration and Border Service (SEF) of Portugal and gathered representatives of nine states – Albania, Armenia, Czech Republic, Georgia, Hungary, Kazakhstan, Kosovo , Kyrgyzstan and Moldova.
During its visit to the SEF Headquarters in Lisbon the delegation was shortly introduced to its main duties and responsibilities, as well as to the national legal framework on migration. With regards to international students, the SEF is responsible for the issuance of visas and residence permits, as well as their possible extension. Seeking to strike a balance between security issues and the practical needs of incoming students, the Portuguese Law entitles foreign students and graduates to take up employment. In 2012, SEF ratified a Protocol with Portuguese Universities in order to facilitate administrative procedures and thus promote the mobility and integration of foreign students.
A representative of the Directorate General of Higher Education presented the good national practices established on the recognition of foreign certificates. The automatic procedure, introduced in 1997, eliminates bureaucratic hurdles, delays and costs. The website www.studyinportugal.edu.pt represents an important tool for informing potential foreign students. Participants were then introduced to the Foundation of Science and Technology, which accounts for 30% of Portugal’s public funding for science and recently awarded 45 PhD studentships to PP states or neighboring countries. The following visit to the One-Stop-Shop in Lisbon (CNAI) granted participants an insight into the various administrative assistance offered to migrants. The latter can obtain all necessary documents in this institution, which unites representatives of all relevant authorities.
The second day took participants to the city of Porto, where they were welcomed to the Porto University. The institutional cooperation between the University and the SEF is operated through a joint electronic interface, allowing for a swift and smooth processing of foreign students’ applications. On the final day the delegation visited the Porto Business School where the administrative challenges faced by foreign students, were further discussed.
During the wrap-up session, participants were introduced to the further timeline of the Pilot Project 6, which foresees a final workshop in early 2016. All countries shall receive a draft version of the envisaged PP6 Guidelines for their review beforehand. In this way the workshop shall serve the finalisation of the document, which is later to be endorsed at the Prague Process Senior Officials’ Meeting (PP SOM).
All participating states expressed their gratitude and appreciation of the Study Visit as a whole and of some agenda items in particular. The successful cooperation between the migration authorities and higher education institutions was in itself perceived as a highlight. Some participants underlined how interesting and enriching the observation of the different national practices displayed during the project was. A thorough description of these varying approaches could represent an important contribution of the envisaged guidelines.
