If your AIMA account says “Proposed for Rejection,” “Prior Hearing,” “Audiência Prévia” or shows “proposta de decisão de indeferimento,” your residence application has not yet been finally refused.
Under Articles 121 and 122 of Portugal’s Código do Procedimento Administrativo (CPA), AIMA must normally give you a chance to respond before taking a final unfavourable decision. The notice must tell you the likely outcome, provide the relevant factual and legal basis, and give you at least 10 days to respond.
Quick Answer: “Proposed for Rejection” means AIMA is considering a refusal. Audiência prévia is your chance to correct facts, explain the case and submit evidence before the final decision.
This guide is for AIMA residence-permit cases and renewals. It is not the same as a final indeferido, a consular visa refusal or cancellation of an existing residence permit.
AIMA Audiência Prévia Statuses at a Glance
| AIMA wording | Final? | What it means | What to do |
|---|---|---|---|
| Audiência Prévia / Prior Hearing | No | AIMA is considering an unfavourable decision | Open the formal notice and prepare your response |
| Proposed for Rejection | No | There is a proposed negative decision | Check the reason and deadline |
| Quality control check for a possible review | No | The proposed refusal is under further review | Do not treat it as final indeferido |
| The prior-hearing stage has been concluded | No | The hearing stage is closed and the case is back in assessment | Keep tracking the process |
| Indeferido | Yes | AIMA has issued a final refusal | Read the reasons and challenge deadline |
| Deferido | Yes | The application or renewal is approved | Follow card production and delivery |
If you are not sure which wording you have, compare it with the AIMA process tracker guide.
Does “Proposed for Rejection” Mean AIMA Has Rejected You?
No. The word that matters is “proposed.” Article 121 of the CPA gives you the right to be heard before the final decision.
You can respond on issues of fact and law, submit documents and ask for relevant additional steps. AIMA can then maintain the proposed refusal, change its view or carry out further checks before deciding.
One thing I keep seeing trip people up is the English wording. “Rejection” sounds final, but a proposal of refusal is legally different from a final indeferimento.
How Long Do You Have to Respond?
At least 10 days, but use the deadline in your actual AIMA notice. Article 122 sets the minimum period. The CPA’s counting rules exclude the triggering day and suspend procedural deadlines on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays.
Do not confuse this with an AIMA response deadline. The 10-day rule is the minimum period you receive to exercise your right to be heard.
If all you can see is a short portal status, find the actual notification, attached document or email before replying. Article 122 requires the notice to provide the proposed decision and the information needed to understand the relevant factual and legal issues.
What Should You Submit?
Submit only what answers AIMA’s stated reason for the proposed refusal. There is no universal audiência prévia document list.
| If AIMA questions… | Your response should address… |
|---|---|
| Means of subsistence | Current income/employment evidence or other proof relevant to your residence route |
| Accommodation | The housing evidence AIMA says is missing or insufficient |
| Tax or Social Security compliance | Current evidence resolving the specific AT or Segurança Social issue |
| Employment or self-employment basis | The contract, activity or registration evidence required for that permit |
| Document inconsistency | The corrected document plus a short explanation |
| Residence category | Evidence for the alternative legal route if AIMA proposes a conversion |
AIMA’s general Article 77 requirements include a valid travel document, means of subsistence, accommodation and Social Security registration where applicable. Your permit category may require more.
My rule of thumb: answer each objection in the same order AIMA raises it. One objection, one explanation, then the evidence that proves it. Do not bury the answer inside unrelated PDFs.
What Does “The Prior-Hearing Stage Has Been Concluded” Mean?
It means the audiência prévia stage has ended, not that your case is approved or refused. AIMA can now assess the information collected and move toward the final decision.
The CPA also allows additional checks after the hearing where useful. If the tracker later changes to “awaiting decision,” the case has moved beyond the hearing stage, but it is still not approval until AIMA issues deferido or the corresponding decision.
What Does “Quality Control Check for a Possible Review” Mean?
Treat this as an internal review of a proposed negative outcome, not a final refusal. I could not find an AIMA rule giving this portal phrase a separate legal definition.
The important legal distinction is that a final refusal must be formally notified. For residence-permit decisions under Article 82 of Law 23/2007, the notification must state the grounds and the right to judicial challenge and its deadline.
So the practical sequence is:
proposed negative decision → hearing/review → final decision
Can AIMA Approve the Case After Audiência Prévia?
Yes. The purpose of the prior hearing is to let you challenge the proposed outcome before the final decision.
If the problem is a missing document, an unproven requirement or an incorrect factual assumption and your response fixes it, AIMA can approve the case. Submitting a response does not guarantee approval, but the proposed refusal is not irreversible.
Why Is AIMA Mentioning an Article 122 Type Conversion?
If your notice says the original residence-permit type no longer meets the legal conditions but that AIMA will convert the case to a route under Article 122 of Law 23/2007, read the whole notice rather than the sentence saying the original request is rejected.
That can mean the original renewal basis does not work, but the case will continue under another residence category. This is case-specific, not a standard result of every audiência prévia.
If AIMA names Article 122, check the exact ground and required documents in our Article 122 Portugal guide.
How Long Does AIMA Take After Audiência Prévia?
There is no separate official AIMA timeline promising a decision a fixed number of days after the hearing ends.
For residence-permit renewals, Article 82 of Law 23/2007 sets an overall 60-day decision period. The CPA also says that conducting the prior hearing does not suspend procedural deadlines.
Article 82 currently states that if AIMA does not decide a renewal within the legal period for a reason not attributable to the applicant, the renewal is treated as tacitly approved and the title should be issued.
That does not mean every delayed hearing automatically creates tacit approval. A missing-document request, late response or another delay attributable to the applicant can matter.
If your renewal is seriously overdue, see our guide to legal options for AIMA delays under Article 109 CPTA.
What Happens if You Do Nothing?
Ignoring the notice leaves AIMA’s proposed negative grounds unanswered. The CPA does not say that silence automatically becomes a final refusal, but where requested information or documents are necessary to assess your application, the process should not proceed on the application without them.
If AIMA identifies something you can correct, audiência prévia is the stage to correct it.
When Is a Lawyer Worth Considering?
A simple request for one clear missing document does not automatically require a lawyer. I would consider case-specific legal help when:
- AIMA relies on a SIS, criminal, security, entry or stay issue;
- the legal basis of your residence permit is disputed;
- AIMA proposes a different residence category and you are unsure whether you qualify;
- you missed the hearing deadline;
- AIMA’s facts are wrong but difficult to prove;
- you already received a final indeferimento;
- a long delay is seriously affecting a time-sensitive right and you are considering court action.
Once a final refusal arrives, work from the actual decision. Article 82 requires AIMA to state the reasons and the judicial-challenge deadline.
What to Do Now
- Save the exact AIMA status and notification.
- Identify the proposed reason for refusal.
- Write down the response deadline.
- Answer each reason directly and attach the matching evidence.
- Keep proof of what you submitted and when.
- Track the next status using the AIMA process tracker.
If the case becomes deferido but the physical card does not arrive, use the AIMA card not received and CTT tracking guide.
If your card has expired while the case is pending and you need to leave Portugal, do not assume the hearing notice is a travel document. Check the separate guide on travel with an expired Portugal residence card.