Clarification on strict new eligibility rules for Portugal Job Seeker Visa

Has anyone from outside the EU recently attempted to apply for the Portugal Job Seeker Visa under the new October guidelines?

  • Reliability: Does the consulate actually enforce the “highly qualified” definition strictly (e.g., higher education degrees), or do they accept demonstrated professional experience for creative fields?
  • Friction: Regarding the application location, are they finding reasons to reject applications submitted while legally present in Portugal, or is the “Consulate ONLY” rule flexible?

Would love to hear real experiences regarding the rejection reasons before I invest in the process.

Realizing there is some confusion regarding the scope of these changes…

I am writing to share my recent experience with this administrative process.