Luanda – Agreement on Mobility in the Community of Portuguese-speaking Countries (CPLP), signed Saturday in Luanda, provides for the Member States citizens to apply for a visa and residence permit.
The Accord was signed by the ministers of Foreign Affairs of the CPLP Member States, during a ceremony attended by the Heads of State and Government and their representatives.
The document states that the “CPLP residence visa” and the “CPLP residence permit” can be granted to all nationals from the nine member states, holders of diplomatic, official, special and service passports, as well as ordinary ones.
Under the terms of the Agreement, the CPLP residence visa is an administrative authorisation, granted to the citizen from one country to gain access to another country, aimed to request and obtaining a CPLP residence permit.
The modality is defined as an “administrative authorisation granted to the citizen of a party that allows him to take up residence in the territory of the issuing party”.
When applying for these types of visas, the document adds, the applicant must not have in his person measures prohibiting entry by the State where he wishes to reside, as well as signs of threat to order, security or public health of the host party.
In the case of ordinary passports, and with a view to facilitating increased mobility and its adjustment to the internal realities of each country, the Mobility Agreement allows additional partnership instruments to divide applicants into groups, depending on their activity or situation in which they find themselves.
These groups are defined as lecturers from higher and non-higher education institutions, researchers of recognised centers of expertise; and highly qualified technicians, entrepreneurs, cultural agents.
This category includes artists, sportsmen and the media, writers, musicians, promoters and organisers of cultural and sport events, as well as students.
CPLP Mobility covers the modalities of “CPLP short-term stay”, “CPLP temporary stay”, “CPLP residence visa” “CPLP residence” .
One of the articles of the Agreement establishes that “short stays do not depend on prior administrative authorisation and are intended for all citizens of the parties holding ordinary or ordinary passports and holders of diplomatic, official, special and service passports”.
In the case of temporary stay, the legal instrument defines that its attribution depends on prior administrative authorization granted by the host party, in the form of a temporary stay visa, for a period not exceeding 12 months and is intended for holders of ordinary passports.
The CPLP residence permit has an initial duration of one year, renewable for successive periods of two years, without prejudice to renewals for a longer period, provided that the legislation of each country allows it.
The application for a residence permit is requested within a maximum period of 90 days counting from the first entry of the holder of a residence visa and it is decided within 60 days, counting from the date of submission of the application.
Signed the Agreement Téte António, minister of Foreign Affairs of Angola, Carlos Alberto Franco França of Brazil, Rui Alberto de Figueiredo Soares minister of Foreign Affairs Cooperation and Regional Integration of Cabo Verde.
Also Suzi Carla Barbosa, Minister of State, Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation and Communities of Guinea-Bissau and Simeón Oyono Esono Angué, Foreign Affairs and Cooperation of Equatorial Guinea.
For Mozambique signed Amade Miquidade, minister of the Interior, Augusto Santos Silva, minister of State and Foreign Affairs of Portugal, São Tomé and Príncipe, Edite Ramos da Costa Ten Jua of Foreign Affairs, Cooperation and Communities, and for East Timor, Adaljiza Albertina Xavier Reis Magno, minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation.
Attended the ceremony the Presidents of Angola João Lourenço, Cabo Verde Jorge Carlos Fonseca, Guinea-Bissau Umaro Sissoco Embaló, São Tomé and Príncipe Evaristo de Carvalho, Portugal Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, Namibia Hage Geingob, and Vice President of Brazil Hamilton Mourão.
The ceremony was also attended by representatives of the Heads of State of Mozambique, East Timor and Equatorial Guinea.
Also witnessed the ceremony, Prime Ministers of Portugal, Guinea-Bissau, Cabo Verde and São Tomé and Principe as well as representatives of the United Nations and the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS).
Source: Angola Press News Agency
