Moving to Portugal with Kids: An American Family’s Real Visa & AIMA Story

Moving from the US to Portugal with young kids: what is it really like? Our client Janeen Blake, an American lawyer, shares her family's journey, and Lisbon lawyer Dr. Sandra Gomes Pinto answers live questions on visas, AIMA and settling in. 👉 Planning your move? Talk to our team: https://www.sandragomespinto.com/contact Janeen's story goes beyond the visa. Since moving to Portugal she has grown her own online business, left the corporate world for good and gained financial and time freedom. Now she teaches other people how to do the same. In this webinar, hosted by SGP - Sandra Gomes Pinto & Associados, Janeen explains why her family chose Portugal, why safety concerns made them move sooner, and what the VFS and AIMA appointments were really like with two young children. "You can't AI your way through this. You can't really Google your way through this, because things are always changing." – Janeen Blake WHAT YOU'LL LEARN ✔ How Janeen built a portable online income, left corporate life and gained financial and time freedom ✔ How to plan a family move: school first, then neighbourhood, then paperwork ✔ What happens at VFS and AIMA, and what to do when AIMA asks for a document you didn't expect ✔ Getting your NIF and Portuguese bank account remotely, and when to fund it ✔ Delayed or lost residence cards: how we follow up and when an injunction makes sense ✔ Working remotely on a D7, exchanging your driver's licence, bringing family members ✔ Shipping your belongings without import tax (the baggage certificate) ✔ Doing it yourself with Facebook groups and AI vs. working with a lawyer QUICK ANSWERS FROM THE WEBINAR • Do you need to renew your NIF? No. A Portuguese NIF is issued once and stays yours for life. • Can you work while waiting for your first AIMA appointment on a D7? Yes, remotely for a non-Portuguese employer or through your own online business. • Do you need regular transfers into your Portuguese account before AIMA? No. AIMA looks for a secure source of passive income and recent account activity showing you live here. • When should you exchange your driver's licence? As soon as you get your residence card. After the 2-year window you would have to sit the Portuguese driving test. CHAPTERS 00:00 Welcome: a real client story + legal Q&A 02:41 Meet Dr. Sandra Gomes Pinto 04:36 Janeen's story: why her family left the US 07:36 Planning a family move: schools, neighbourhoods, legal process 12:24 Janeen's business: leaving corporate life for financial and time freedom 16:41 NIF, bank account and preparing for VFS 19:42 AIMA day: one family, two offices 25:05 DIY (Facebook groups, AI) vs. having a lawyer 30:46 Q&A: banks, spouses, delayed Golden Visa cards, funding your account 35:45 Lost residence cards: Janeen's parents 38:12 Beyond the visa: schools, pets, finding a home 42:02 SGP membership and Moving to Portugal course 42:58 Q&A: working on a D7, transfers, driver's licence, family reunification 50:32 Janeen's advice and life in Lisbon today 54:28 How working with SGP works, start to finish 59:27 Q&A: shipping belongings, collecting your card, renewals HOW SGP CAN HELP SGP is a Lisbon law firm led by Dr. Sandra Gomes Pinto, a lawyer for over 30 years. We have helped 500+ families and individuals move to and invest in Portugal, mainly from the US, Canada and the UK, across immigration, property, tax, and wills and inheritance. A lawyer from our team goes with you to your AIMA appointment. 📩 Contact us: https://www.sandragomespinto.com/contact ✉️ sgp@sandragomespinto.com 📱 WhatsApp: https://wa.me/351966291451 🧮 Free Visa Checker and Budget Calculator: https://www.sandragomespinto.com ⭐ Interested in SGP Membership (priority support and discounts on our services) contact us: 🎓 Interested in Our course about Moving to Portugal course contact us 💡 Learn how Janeen did it with her course, Freedom Unclocked, contact us! MORE FROM SGP 🎧 Podcast "Thinking about moving to Portugal?": https://open.spotify.com/show/6m6VK63... 🔔 Subscribe:    / @sandragomespinto112   LinkedIn:   / sandra-gomes-pinto-associados   Facebook:   / 100038880293044   📍 Av. Álvares Cabral, 84 – 1.º Dto, 1250-018 Lisboa, Portugal This video is general information, not legal advice. Portuguese immigration rules and AIMA practice change often, so get advice on your own situation before acting. Recorded in 2026. #MovingToPortugal #PortugalVisa #ExpatsInPortugal