At a press conference, António Leitão Amaro explained that, although the general two-year period indicated in the law rejected by the Constitutional Court will be maintained, it will be increased to one year for spouses who cohabited with the applicant for family reunification in the year before they immigrated to Portugal.

The minister also said that the proposal, submitted today to the Assembly of the Republic by the PSD and CDS-PP parliamentary groups, extends the possibility of immediate application, which was already provided for minors, to incapacitated adults dependent on the immigrant and to the father or mother of their child.

"These one-year rules, or the exemption for spouses in the case of a common child, [are] always applicable to marriages and civil partnerships that comply with Portuguese law. That is, it excludes marriages with minors, polygamous marriages, and forced marriages," emphasized António Leitão Amaro.

As in the initial version, highly qualified professionals or those with a residence permit for investment purposes will also be exempt from any time limit to apply for family reunification.

According to the proposed amendment submitted by the PSD and CDS-PP parliamentary groups, the deadline may also be waived or reduced "in exceptional, duly substantiated cases, by order of the member of the Government responsible for migration," taking into account "the nature and strength of the individual's family ties and the effectiveness of their integration in Portugal, in light of the principles of human dignity and proportionality."

When asked whether this doesn't introduce randomness into the process, the minister admitted that there is "a dimension of discretion" in such a decision, but argued that the established parameters prevent it from being arbitrary and allow it to be reviewed by a court.

Leitão Amaro added that the Law on Entry, Stay, Departure, and Removal of Foreigners from the National Territory already provides, in Article 123, for an exceptional regime in certain situations.

On August 8, the Constitutional Court rejected five provisions of the parliamentary decree that, at the government's proposal, sought to amend the so-called Foreigners' Law, most of which dealt with family reunification, including the establishment of a "blind two-year deadline" for the request.

On the same day, the President of the Republic, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, vetoed the legislation, returning it three days later to the Assembly of the Republic.

Today, the Minister of the Presidency admitted that the executive branch preferred the first version of the law, but emphasized respect for the Supreme Federal Court (STF).

"Now is the time for parliament," he concluded.