About Brazil Humanitarian Visa:
In an effort to better accommodate refugees and asylum-seekers from Afghanistan, the Brazilian government has unveiled a new humanitarian visa and reception policy. Changes to the requirements for obtaining a humanitarian visa and residence permit in Brazil have been implemented by the Ministries of Justice and Public Security and Foreign Affairs. A major factor in this shift is the growing acceptance of Brazil as a transit point for Afghan refugees heading to the United States through perilous routes. From October 2, 2023, until December 31, 2024, the following updates to the policy will be in effect according to the revised publication:
Details:
- Start Registration date: October 2, 2023.
- Deadline: December 31, 2024.
- Host Country: Brazil.
- Sponsored by: Government of Brazil.
- Number of visas: not mentioned.
- Eligible Country: Afghanistan.
- Place of obtaining a visa: Tehran Iran and Islamabad Pakistan.
- Visa duration: 180 days or 6 months.
Candidates Update:
Candidates from Afghanistan, stateless people, and anyone directly impacted by the events of August 15th in Afghanistan. Those who departed Afghanistan before this date are not eligible.
Place of obtaining Visa:
Only in the Brazilian embassies in Tehran, Iran, and Islamabad, Pakistan, may candidates seeking transitory Brazil visas submit applications for humanitarian visas. The Brazilian embassies in Moscow, Doha, Ankara, and Abu Dhabi had been once the only places where candidates could submit their applications.
Hotel accessibility changes:
a new rule in order to get visas, Afghans must demonstrate that there are enough housing options via civil society groups and official cooperation agreements. Candidates must go to Brazil within 180 days. An immigrant must register with the Federal Police and get their National Migration Registration Card (CRNM) within 90 days of their arrival in Brazil.
The application requirements for short-term visas and residency continue to be the same. Immigrants may still seek to remain in Brazil indefinitely, but they must do so 90 days before their intended departure date. The immigrant must satisfy the standards, which include not leaving Brazil for more than 90 days at a time, going through immigration control each time, demonstrating they have the means to sustain themselves, and being free of any criminal convictions. The immigrant must also relinquish their immigration status as a recipient of humanitarian aid and give up their refugee status.
This measure was caused by an earlier this year scabies epidemic among Afghan immigrants living at So Paulo International Airport. The new immigration policy, similar to the criticized American immigration policy that requires migrants to have employment or somewhere to reside in the target country before applying for a visa, has raised worries among some academics and campaigners. Augusto de Arruda Botelho, the national secretary of Justice, affirms that the move intends to enhance the welcome of Afghans who still need to establish a strong foothold in Brazil. Afghans have made up a significant portion of the migrant flow across the Darien Strait, sometimes called the “jungle of death,” between Panama and Colombia since the beginning of 2022.