USA reduces queue and issues more than 1 million visas to Brazilians in 2023

The United States Embassy and Consulates in Brazil announced this Friday, 5th, that they issued 1.125 million visas to Brazilians in 2023. The bodies did not say whether this is a record, but treated the number as “a historic achievement”.

The mark was reached six months after a record – this, according to the law firm AG Immigration, specialized in migration issues, based on data from the State Department of that country: in the week of June 5th to 9th, 2023, the delay It took 630 days to obtain a visa at the United States Consulate in São Paulo, the longest recorded in the historical series carried out by the office.

At that time, São Paulo was the ninth city in the world with the longest delay in obtaining a B1/B2 visa, for tourism and business, and Brazil was the seventh country with the longest delay in granting a visa, according to the ranking made by AG Immigration, which for this classification considers the average of all diplomatic posts existing in each nation. In Brazil, there are five cities where it is possible to obtain a visa: in addition to São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Brasília, Porto Alegre and Recife.

The delay until June, resulting from the backlog of requests during the Covid-19 pandemic, when the United States suspended concessions, was resolved with the adoption of measures by consular posts. “We increased the number of consular employees across the country, opened hundreds of thousands of new appointments, prioritized visas for students returning to studies and simplified the visa renewal process to better serve Brazilian travelers”, states a note issued by the embassy and by consulates.

This Friday, the waiting time for a visa interview at the São Paulo consulate was six days. “We are excited to witness such a substantial increase in visa issuances. This achievement not only highlights the strong ties between our two nations, but also demonstrates the growing interest of Brazilians in exploring tourism and education opportunities in the US,” said Scott Riedmann, acting minister counselor for Consular Affairs at the US Embassy and Consulates.

What to do to get a visa for the USA?

Complete form DS-160 and print the confirmation page: https://ceac.state.gov/genniv/

Access the Scheduling System to pay the application fee and schedule an interview: https://ais.usvisa-info.com/

AG Immigration provided a step-by-step guide to the procedure:

Complete Form DS-160 on the U.S. Department of State website. Beforehand, make sure you have your passport in hand.

It is filled out in English, except when the form asks for your name to be written in your native language (in this case, Portuguese).

After filling out, print the DS-160 confirmation page with your identification (Application ID).

Then, access the CASV website (Visa Applicant Assistance Center) and fill out the form, choosing the business and tourist visa (B1/B2);

Pay the visa application fee (MRV) via bank slip or international credit card.

Once payment has cleared, make appointments. There are two: one at CASV and one at the consulate. In Porto Alegre, both are in the same location. If there is availability, both appointments can be made on the same day. Attention: the appointment at CASV needs to be scheduled before the interview at the consulate, but the system asks you to first select the consulate date.

Then print the appointment confirmation page.

Scheduling at CASV is used to collect photos and fingerprints (biometrics). You must bring your current and previous passports (if you have one) and the printed DS-160 and appointment confirmation pages.

Once at the consulate, an officer will ask you questions about the reason for your trip and may ask for documents that prove your link with Brazil and the information you provided when filling out the DS-160 form.

Consulates and the embassy prohibit entry with cell phones, electronic devices and sharp or flammable objects. But at the doors of the embassy and consulates there are private lockers, so people can leave their cell phone and other items.

If the visa is approved, a consular officer will keep your passport and within 15 days you will receive an email with information on when to pick it up (if you have not chosen the option for shipping to your address for a fee) . You have up to 30 days to pick it up, from the date informed.

Where can I get an American visa in Brazil?

You can get your visa at the US embassy in Brasília or at one of the consular posts in São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Recife or Porto Alegre.

How long does the visa last?

The tourist visa (category B1/B2) can be valid for up to 10 years. Within the validity period, the person can travel to the United States as many times as they want. If she has a tourist visa, for each trip the immigration officer stipulates a maximum period of stay and she must respect this period (up to six months).

How long does it take to receive the visa after the interview?

The consular section has up to 15 working days to return the passport.

What are the most common reasons for having a visa denied?

When consulted by the report, the United States Embassy reported that “all visa applicants must demonstrate to the consular officer that they have no intention of using their visitor visa to remain indefinitely in the United States and that they have the resources and intention to pay for all expenses for your trip.” According to the Embassy, ​​the visa approval rate in Brazil is 85%.

According to AG Immigration, the main reasons for denial are:

cannot demonstrate ties with Brazil and, therefore, the consular officer cannot be sure that the person will return to the country. If the person has already traveled to other countries (mainly in Europe and North America) before applying for the North American visa , it becomes easier to obtain the document.

lie on the DS-160. The person says on the form that they are an influencer, for example, and when asked about their profession in the interview they say they are a salesperson. Or says she doesn't have a relative in the US, but the consular officer finds out she does. It is important that in the interview the person says exactly what they wrote in the DS-160 and does not lie. When a lot of time passes between submitting the form and the interview, the person is at greater risk of forgetting what they said on the form.

cannot prove financial conditions to stay in the USA for the duration of the trip.

Not taking all the necessary documents. If on the DS-160 form, for example, the person states that they earn R$10,000, they must bring documents proving this income to the interview. If they are requested by the consular officer and the person fails to present them, they may be denied a visa. Another problem is presenting yourself as a businessman on the form, but not bringing the company's social contract or income tax to the interview.

Previous visa violation: Brazil is the 9th country in the world with the most people violating their visa length of stay – when the traveler receives authorization to stay for 30 days and ends up staying 31 or more, for example. This could jeopardize applications for renewal or even a new visa.