The Minister of Labor and Social Security confirmed to deputies that changed the rules for accessing the Social Security identification number (NISS) to require an employment contract.
The minister was responding in Parliament to a question from PS deputy Miguel Cabrita, who questioned the changes implemented regarding the difficulties it could create for the immigrant population.
“This Government has changed the lack of criteria in attributing the NISS”, said the minister. “Why It is not this Government’s policy that the NISS be awarded indiscriminately to anyone who wants“, since “it means access to Social Security and health services that all Portuguese people pay for”.
Rosário Palma Ramalho maintains that the change “does not mean throwing workers into illegality”.
“Companies that enter into an employment contract inform Social Security and Social Security automatically assigns the NISS to that worker. There is no pushing for illegality. This controls the situation much more”, he maintained.
The changes will have raised doubts. In December, the Social Security Institute published a note to clarify that companies and other employers “may enter into employment contracts with foreign citizens, even if they do not have a Social Security Identification Number (NISS)”.
Source: www.jornaldenegocios.pt
