According to the SINSEF union, industrial action since the beginning of the week before last, has seen 86 percent of administration workers lay down their pens in protest at a loss of rights they enjoyed up until 2008.
The action has mostly affected the issuing of residence permits and golden visas to large investors.
Last month, scores of immigrants staged a protest in Lisbon outside the SEF Immigration Offices due to a host of delays.
The protest, organised by the local Pakistani community members, was called due to immigrants resident in Portugal having to wait years to have their residency permits issued despite having all their paperwork in order.
Following the protest, SEF officials reportedly told the group that there is a shortage of manpower coupled with the extended illness of the national director, who is responsible for signing off documentation.
In addition, sporadic industrial action has seen paperwork pile up even further.
Joe Walker, a golden visa investor in Portugal, commenting about delays and red tape experienced at SEF immigration offices, this week told The Portugal News that he “was made numerous promises, I have lost faith in Portugal’s government to deliver. They have asked for help during difficult financial times but have betrayed investors’ trust.
This is an abuse of the system and very disappointing. The delays, poor policies and inefficient administration are frustrating. It makes Portugal seem dishonest.”
In related news, SEF has revealed that more than 4,000 ‘golden visas’ - special residency permits for major foreign investors - have been issued since the programme was set up in late 2012.
Chinese nationals being by far the most numerous among them, the agency said.
According to SEF, a total of €2.5 billion of investment has come into Portugal through the programme, of which about €251 million is in the form of capital transfer and €2.3 billion through property acquisitions.
Figures sent to Lusa News Agency show that since it began on 8 October 2012, and until the end of last year, 4,202 Residency Permits for Investment (ARI), as they are officially known, have been issued: two in 2012, 494 in 2013, 1,526 in 2014, and 766 in 2015, and finally 1,414 last year.
Of these, 3,050 were issued to Chinese nationals, 247 to Brazilians, followed by 148 Russians, 137 South Africans and 72 Lebanese.
In addition, 6,637 family members of permit holders under the programme were also issued with residency permits.
Of the permits issued 3,964 were via property acquisitions, 232 through capital transfer and six for the creation of at least 10 jobs.
Since September 2015 amended rules have been in force for the programme, with the investment criteria extended to areas such as urban rehabilitation and scientific research, with lower thresholds.