Speaking of Visas

[catnip]

Does anyone have recent experience of how likely it is for Brazilians coming to the US to get visas? I am hearing these stories that it is just impossible, but was wondering if anyone has experience, say in the last 6 months, with this. Is it a matter of applying several times until you get it, are there many factors to consider, etc. Thanks for any help.

[trilingual]

It's not impossible for Brazilians to get American visas, but the U.S. is making the process absolute hell, and very expensive, and not only in Brazil.

 

To begin, you have to call a "900" type phone number and pay for the privilege of getting information, a visa application, and an interview appointment.

 

The visa application costs US$100, which isn't returned if your visa is denied. In countries like Brazil, that's a LOT of money. A friend of mine is applying for a renewal of his U.S. visa. He's a retired civil servant who makes about R$3000/mo., a very respectable middle-class income in Brazil. The visa fee, converted into reais, equals nearly 10% of his monthly salary. For someone less well-off, the fee comes to much more. In fact, the fee is MORE than the official monthly minimum wage in Brazil!

 

To prove that they don't intend to immigrate, and that they can support themselves in the U.S., applicants must show proof of job, furnish data about their family ties, provide itineraries and present notarized copies of income tax returns, bank statements, property deeds, etc. with their applications. Other onerous documentation may be required, too.

 

Beginning 7/15, ALL applicants must have a personal interview, which will really bog down the process and become prohibitive for applicants who don't live in a city with a consulate. This will be particulary hard on people in big countries like Brazil. My friend beat the deadline with his visa application, but in addition to the other expenses he'd have to fly from his home in Porto Alegre to São Paulo (about 600 - 800 miles) just for the interview! Distances and airfares from other cities to their servicing consulates are even greater, particularly up in Amazonia. At this point, there are only four consular sections that issue visas in Brazil: the Embassy in Brasilia, and the consulates in Rio, SP and Recife, so vast sections of the country are far from a consulate. We used to have more consulates in major ciities (like in Salvador and Porto Alegre) but they were closed because of budget cutbacks.

 

The everyone-must-be-interviewed madness may not last long, because it's going to kill tourism from Latin America and Asia and any other country for which the U.S. requires visas. (They aren't required for EU citizens, Canadians and Japanese. Just about everybody else needs one.) Florida tourism will be especially impacted, so there's hope that Gov. Bush may prevail on his idiot brother to reconsider this insanity.

[catnip]

Thanks for the help, tri - too bad it couldn't be better news!

[catnip]

Thanks for the help, tri - too bad it couldn't be better news!

[trilingual]

Well, it's NOT a pretty picture, but in spite of that I understand that the actual rejection rate is surprisingly low. (Partly, of course, there's a certain amount of self-selection going on and people who are pretty sure they'll be turned down don't even bother applying.)

 

Consider that Bruno Gaucho has received his visa, and he fits the profile for being a potential immigrant: he's young, unattached, has no visible source of income (although I assume he's produced some documentation about his resources that convinced the consulate he has some), etc. Bruno isn't the only young person I've known who's managed to get a visa, so don't give up hope!

 

Also, student visas are still being granted, if someone plans to come to the U.S. to study. So there are ways. It's just that there will be headaches involved. . . x(

[catnip]

A friend of mine just told me that Hunter College in NYC has a well-respected ESL program and that they can help clear the way for visas -maybe an option worth pursuing....