Brazilian citizens moving to United States of America
Brazil is a US E-1/E-2 treaty country, making investor and trader routes viable. H-1B and L-1 are standard temporary options; EB-5 remains popular for investor migration.
We cover 14 United States routes — 5 can be started without a job offer, and 6 lead to permanent residence.
Tourist entry
No. Brazilian nationals require a visa to enter United States of America, even for short tourism. A separate residence or work route is required for long-term stay.
Treaty & bilateral memberships
- US E-1/E-2 Treaty
Consular processing: São Paulo / Rio de Janeiro / Brasília
What this means for Brazilian citizens
Of the 14 United States of America routes we cover, 5 can be started without an employer sponsor and 6 can lead to permanent residence. As Brazilian citizens, you may also have access to 1 treaty route (E-2 Treaty Investor) that most nationalities cannot use. Relevant memberships: US E-1/E-2 Treaty. Expect a language test or qualification-recognition step, since language alignment is only partial.
Headline figures — H-1B Specialty Occupation
Computed from our continuously re-verified, primary-sourced data. Indicative, not legal advice.
Salary you must earn
US$62,000/yr
H-1B — Level 1 prevailing wage (median across SOC codes)
Verified 1 July 2024 · DOL — Foreign Labor Certification wage search →
Government cost
US$3,595
Initial H-1B, standard employer (>25 FTE, not H-1B-dependent), no premium
H-4 dependants pay a $470 I-539 filing fee (each) plus $85 biometrics. Consular DS-160 fee is $205 each where applicable.
Verified 1 June 2026 · USCIS — Fee Schedule (Form G-1055) →
How long it takes
2 months – 8 months
H-1B I-129 petitions commonly take 2–8 months at USCIS service centers; Premium Processing ($2,965) resolves within 15 business days.
Verified 1 June 2026 · USCIS — Case Processing Times →
Treaty and bilateral routes
These routes are available to Brazilian applicants under specific bilateral agreements.
Routes with nationality-specific notes
Each link opens the Brazilian-specific guide for that route.
O-1 Individuals with Extraordinary Ability or Achievement
Visa for individuals with extraordinary ability in sciences, education, business, athletics (O-1A) or the arts/film/television (O-1B).
Brazilian O-1 applicants in entertainment and sports feature heavily. Agent-based O-1 filings (where the agent acts as the employer for multiple engagements) are a common vehicle; ensure each engagement has a signed itinerary and contract.
EB-3 Skilled, Professional, and Other Workers
Third-preference employment-based green card requiring employer sponsorship and PERM labor certification.
Brazilian EB-3 applicants are most commonly skilled trades, healthcare, and hospitality workers. EB-3 Brazil has historically remained current under the visa bulletin. Polícia Federal certidão de antecedentes criminais is the required police certificate, with apostille via the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Rio de Janeiro consular processing handles most Brazilian immigrant interviews.
EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program
Permanent residence through investment in a new US commercial enterprise that creates at least 10 full-time jobs.
Brazilian EB-5 demand has grown substantially with BRL weakness and US property/equity opportunities. Source-of-funds tracing through Banco Central do Brasil capital-export reporting (Declaração de Capital Brasileiro no Exterior, CBE) is standard for amounts above the BCB threshold. Tax-residency planning around the 183-day rule and PFIC exposure on legacy Brazilian holdings should precede I-526E filing.
F-1 Student Visa (with OPT and STEM OPT)
Non-immigrant student visa for academic study at a SEVP-certified institution, with post-study OPT employment authorisation.
Brazilian F-1 demand has grown sharply post-2020. Brazil is not on the Visa Waiver Program, so all visitors and students need full DS-160 consular processing. Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo consulates handle most cases. STEM OPT and post-graduation H-1B remain the principal bridge to longer-term work — a meaningful structural advantage since Brazil is not on the per-country EB backlog list.
J-1 Exchange Visitor
Exchange visitor visa covering academic scholars, students, trainees, interns, researchers, au pairs, and other exchange programs.
Brazilian J-1 participants are one of the largest single national cohorts globally, particularly in au-pair, summer work-and-travel, and academic exchange programs. Designated sponsors (CIEE, Cultural Vistas, AuPairCare, AIFS) handle most placements. Brazilians are typically not subject to §212(e) two-year home-residency requirement unless their program is on the Exchange Visitor Skills List or US-government-funded.
K-1 Fiancé(e) of US Citizen
Non-immigrant visa allowing the fiancé(e) of a US citizen to enter the US to marry within 90 days and then apply for a green card.
Brazilian K-1 applications are processed through Rio de Janeiro consular processing. Polícia Federal certidão de antecedentes criminais is the required police certificate; civil documents from RCPN (Registro Civil de Pessoas Naturais) need apostille via the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Brazilian K-1 wait times have historically been shorter than Filipino or Indian queues at the consular stage.
All United States of America routes open to Brazilian applicants
General routes available to all nationalities. Click any to read the full guide.
H-1B Specialty Occupation
Employer-sponsored non-immigrant visa for specialty occupations requiring a bachelor’s degree or higher.
Job offer required · Temporary
L-1A Intracompany Transferee (Executive or Manager)
Intracompany transfer for executives or managers moving to a US office of a related multinational employer.
Job offer required · Temporary
L-1B Intracompany Transferee (Specialised Knowledge)
Intracompany transfer for employees with specialised knowledge of the employer’s products, services, or processes.
Job offer required · Temporary
EB-1A Extraordinary Ability (Immigrant)
Employment-based first-preference green card for individuals with extraordinary ability — self-petitionable.
No job offer needed · Leads to permanent residence
EB-2 National Interest Waiver (NIW)
Second-preference green card with a waiver of the job offer and PERM labor certification, where the beneficiary’s work is in the US national interest.
No job offer needed · Leads to permanent residence
TN USMCA Professionals (Canada & Mexico)
Non-immigrant work visa under USMCA for Canadian and Mexican citizens in listed professions.
Job offer required · Temporary
Spouse of US Citizen or Green Card Holder (IR1/CR1 & F2A)
Permanent residence for the spouse of a US citizen (IR1/CR1) or lawful permanent resident (F2A preference).
Job offer required · Leads to permanent residence
Recent policy changes affecting this route
What changed most recently on this route — each linked to its primary government source.
- 12 January 2026In force 1 March 2026
US: premium processing rises to $2,965 and H-1B moves to wage-weighted selection
Two USCIS changes land for the FY2027 H-1B season: the Form I-907 premium-processing fee rises with inflation, and cap-subject H-1B selection switches from a random lottery to a wage-weighted process.
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services → - 1 April 2024In force 1 April 2024
USCIS final fee rule takes effect
USCIS implemented its first major fee schedule adjustment in nearly a decade, including differentiated H-1B filing fees by employer type.
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services →
Frequently asked questions
Can Brazilian citizens enter United States of America without a visa?+
No. Brazilian nationals require a visa to enter United States of America, even for short tourism. A separate residence or work route is required for long-term stay.
Which United States of America visa routes are best suited to Brazilian applicants?+
Treaty routes (E-2 Treaty Investor) apply specifically to Brazilian nationals. Common general routes used by Brazilian applicants include O-1 Individuals with Extraordinary Ability or Achievement, EB-3 Skilled, Professional, and Other Workers, EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program. Brazil is a US E-1/E-2 treaty country, making investor and trader routes viable. H-1B and L-1 are standard temporary options; EB-5 remains popular for investor migration.
Where do Brazilian applicants typically apply for a United States of America visa?+
Applications are typically processed at São Paulo / Rio de Janeiro / Brasília. Some digital and in-country applications can be filed directly with United States of America's immigration authority without a consular visit.
Do Brazilian citizens need a job offer to move to United States of America?+
Not necessarily. 5 of the 14 United States of America routes we cover can be started without an employer sponsor, while the rest need a sponsoring employer or job offer. If you do not have an offer yet, the no-sponsor routes are the place to start.
Can Brazilian citizens get permanent residence in United States of America?+
Yes. 6 of the 14 United States of America routes we cover lead toward settlement or permanent residence; the others are temporary. Timelines vary by route, so check the settlement detail on each visa page.
How much does the H-1B Specialty Occupation cost for a Brazilian applicant?+
Government fees for the worked example (Initial H-1B, standard employer (>25 FTE, not H-1B-dependent), no premium) total about US$3,595. H-4 dependants pay a $470 I-539 filing fee (each) plus $85 biometrics. Consular DS-160 fee is $205 each where applicable. Figures from USCIS — Fee Schedule (Form G-1055), verified 1 June 2026. Treat these as indicative — confirm the current schedule on the official source before budgeting.
What salary do Brazilian applicants need for the H-1B Specialty Occupation?+
The H-1B — Level 1 prevailing wage (median across SOC codes) floor is US$62,000/yr, effective 1 July 2024 (DOL — Foreign Labor Certification wage search). Your occupation's published going rate may bind higher — whichever is greater applies.
How long does the H-1B Specialty Occupation take to process from Brazil?+
The typical published decision window is 2 months – 8 months. Brazilian applicants usually file via São Paulo / Rio de Janeiro / Brasília, and consular-post backlogs can add to the wait. Source: USCIS — Case Processing Times, verified 1 June 2026.