Portugal Residency Firm Survey Finds 56% of H-1B Contacts Exploring Alternatives

Portugal HQA Residency released study findings on October 3, 2026 showing that 56% of surveyed H-1B holders who engaged with the organization reported considering alternative immigration or residency options outside the United States. The four-month survey ran from May through September 2026 and contacted 347 H-1B holders. The company states the 56% figure reflects its respondents, not H-1B holders overall. The firm is promoting Portugal's Highly Qualified Activity residence route, citing H-1B employer ties, job-related status risks, and long green-card backlogs. Federal rules allow up to 60 consecutive calendar days of grace after layoff or termination. Current policy includes a $100,000 fee on most new H-1B petitions and a wage-weighted selection model. Sponsors cited for tech-sector layoff exposure include Amazon, Meta, Cognizant, and Microsoft. For Indian nationals, EB-2 was listed as unavailable in the September 2026 Department of State Visa Bulletin, and the EB-3 final action date for India stood at January 1, 2014. Portugal's D3 Highly Qualified Activity route requires a qualifying employment contract or invitation of at least six months, demonstrated high professional qualifications, and salary meeting statutory remuneration thresholds, and leads to a Portuguese residence permit under Article 90. Contested: none found.