Brazil Immigration Services

With offices in São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, Newland Chase Brazil provides corporations and individuals operating in Brazil with complete support for all their immigration and visa needs – inbound to Brazil and outbound to more than 190 countries around the world. Our full spectrum of services allows us to manage all of your business visa and employee immigration needs.

With more than 25 years of experience helping and advising Brazilian and multinational companies and Our team draws upon its years of collective experience to support the unique and challenging needs of our clients, both in Brazil and overseas, wherever our clients’ needs take them. Our global reach expands to more than 60 worldwide offices and immigration to and from more than 190 countries.

  • Brazil Immigration Management

    We provide support in all areas of Brazil immigration for corporations and individuals – from short-term work authorization and temporary residency to long-term work authorization, permanent residency, and citizenship, including both company employees and accompanying family members. Our approach covers you from comprehensive guidance and pre-planning of new assignments and immigration options to completion of all in-country requirements to ongoing compliance monitoring.

    For up-to-date information on the most common work authorization routes in Brazil, see Employment Immigration below.

  • Comprehensive Global Immigration Management

    For corporations and individuals located in Brazil, we provide support in all areas of immigration to more than 190 countries around the world. Our Brazil team is part of the larger Newland Chase global team of 1,700+ expert immigration and visa professionals – specializing in everything from short-term work assignments and temporary residency to long-term work assignments, permanent residency, and citizenship throughout the world.

  • Business Traveler Management

    Business Visitor visas are a key component of a globally mobile workforce – allowing individuals to enter Brazil and other countries for non-work business activities. Business visitor visas typically apply to business meetings, seminars, conferences, trade shows, limited sales activities, contract negotiations, and some supervisory activities. Newland Chase Brazil offers comprehensive services for business travelers both inbound to Brazil and outbound to more than 190 countries.

    Our services include everything from personalized assessment of the activities and destination for visa compliance, to obtaining the proper visas, to tracking of the number and length of stays of your business travelers for legal compliance.

  • Immigration Policy and Compliance

    Our Brazil immigration experts offer an extensive suite of advisory services and immigration compliance strategies to ensure that your organization and employees remain compliant with all Brazilian immigration and visa requirements. Our services include strategic guidance on immigration plans, development and implementation of immigration policies, sponsor compliance, education and training, audit support (including mock audits), and immigration compliance technology solutions.

  • Consulting and Advisory Services

    Our Brazil immigration experts act as trusted business advisors – supporting you in virtually any unique or complex immigration-related matter. Our Brazil team is able to manage the scope of immigration in large-scale projects and employee moves, as well as guide you through the immigration complexities involved in corporate restructuring and mergers and acquisitions.

    • Family Reunion

      Under Brazil’s new immigration law, it is not possible to have the primary visa holder’s legal dependents inserted in their main residency process. A separate process for legal dependents, called Family Reunion, is required.

      There are two routes for requesting this type of process:

      • Applying for visas for dependents at the Brazilian Consulate simultaneously with the primary applicant’s visa application. The dependents’ visa applications are contingent upon the primary applicant’s visa issuance; or
      • Where the dependents are already in Brazil on another immigration classification, it is possible to request a change of status by submitting the necessary application at the Federal Police station, once the main applicant is registered with the Federal Police.

      Once Family Reunion is granted, the dependents’ period of stay will be the same period which was given to the primary applicant.

      Marriage and Offspring

      The Family Reunion process also can be used by foreign nationals who are married to Brazilian citizens or who have a Brazilian offspring. In this situation, the applicant also can apply for the visa either at a Brazilian Consulate abroad and receive a visa stamped on the passport or apply while in Brazil at the Federal Police. The period of stay is undetermined.

    • International Technical Cooperation (NR 19)

      This Residence Permit is applicable to some nationalities, allowing them to apply for a Temporary Residence Authorization directly at the Federal Police department in Brazil. Eligibility for this Residence Permit requires an individual case-by-case analysis of whether any specific agreement applies that would replace the need of having a Residence Authorization through the Ministry of Labor.

Immigration Summary

The Residence Permit for Employment NR 2 (Normative Resolution No. 2) is applicable to foreign nationals who will enter Brazil on a temporary visa and have a local contract with a Brazilian entity. Application for the temporary residence is made at the Ministry of Labour and Employment in Brazil, and the visa is collected at the relevant Brazilian consular post abroad prior to entry to Brazil. A post-arrival change of status option is also available. The visa and ID card are issued for up to two years initially, are renewable, and may lead to permanent residence.

The Residence Permit for Technical Assistance NR 3 is applicable to foreign nationals who will enter Brazil for up to one year to provide technical assistance services while remaining on home contract. This application is also made at the Ministry of Labour and Employment in Brazil, and the visa is issued, for up to one year, by the relevant Brazilian consular post abroad. Renewals for one more year may be possible, depending on the situation, but any extension after two years in total is not possible. Note that a post-arrival change of status process is NOT available under the NR 3 route.

For the NR 3, the assignee must have at least three years of expertise, but not necessarily with the sending company, in the field he/she will be working in while in Brazil. The assignee must not work in any managerial capacity and all activities in Brazil must be limited to technical assistance only. Companies do not need to be linked by common ownership. A service contract between the sending and the Brazilian company will suffice.

For foreign nationals providing technical assistance for no more than 180 days in a one-year period, the Residence Permit for Technical Assistance NR 3 (180 days) is processed significantly faster.

The Residence Permit for Technology Transfer (NR 4) is applicable for foreign nationals who will enter Brazil for up to one year to provide assistance with technology transfer while remaining on home contract. This process describes the consular application. A post-arrival change of status process is not available under the NR 4 route.

The Residence Permit for Vessel or Rig (NR 6) is for applicants who will enter Brazil to work on a vessel or offshore platform as crew or back-up personnel. The national quota criteria for vessels must be observed. Both consular and post-arrival change of status options are available.

The Residence Permit for Legal Representative (NR 11) is applicable to foreign nationals who will enter Brazil to be an administrator, manager, director or executive with management powers; or to represent a civil or commercial society, group or economic conglomerate/legal entity, provided the investment criteria are met. Both consular and post-arrival change of status options are available.

The Residence Permit for Trainee (NR 18/19) is applicable to foreign nationals who will enter Brazil for up to two years as a trainee while remaining on home contract. The NR 18 application applies to ICT trainees where the host company is the Brazilian parent company (main company) of the economic group; the NR 19 application applies to ICT trainees where the Brazilian host company is NOT the parent company (main company) of the economic group. A post-arrival change of status process is NOT available under the Trainee route.

MERCOSUR nationals and other neighbouring countries to Brazil do not require work authorisation to take up residence or employment as local hires in Brazil. Application for a temporary residence authorisation must be made post-arrival in Brazil, for which legalised documents must be presented, so some preparation is required.

Our Brazil team members are highly qualified and dedicated professionals with extensive experience in all aspects of Brazil immigration. They come from the best of legal, consulting, in-house corporate and government backgrounds and bring a breadth of experience and insight both in immigration and a multitude of industry sectors. With a dedication to service and a consultative approach, our people act as your trusted advisors and partners in achieving your business goals in Brazil.

Our Brazilian leadership team directs over 75 immigration experts working for you in Brazil. Meet our Brazil leadership team:

Debora Verencio

Manager, Business Development & Client Service Department

São Paulo, Brazil

Daniela Cardoso

Client Services Director

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Simone Pinheiro

Immigration Manager

São Paulo, Brazil

Celeste Li

Immigration Manager

São Paulo, Brazil