Business and leisure travelers planning trips from Brazil to the United States will need extra patience this season. A nationwide survey released on 28 October by immigration consultancy Viva América shows that average B-1/B-2 interview-wait times at U.S. consular posts in Brazil have doubled in a year, jumping from 28 days in October 2024 to 57 days now. São Paulo tops the list with a 70-day queue, followed by Porto Alegre (63), Brasília (60), Recife (57) and Rio de Janeiro (35). The spike comes just as Brazilian demand for U.S. vacations traditionally accelerates ahead of school holidays and year-end shopping trips.
Two converging forces are driving the backlog. First, pent-up leisure demand collided with a strong real–dollar exchange rate, reigniting family tourism, Black Friday shopping and cruise departures from Florida. Second, thousands of Brazilians are trying to secure appointments before Washington introduces a new US$250 “Visa Integrity Fee” on most non-immigrant categories early next year. According to Viva América CEO Rodrigo Costa, the fee—though not yet in force—has triggered a rush to lodge applications while costs remain lower.
For companies that rotate staff between Brazil and the United States, the longer queues complicate mobility calendars. Short-notice trips for negotiations, trade fairs or maintenance visits may now require two‐month lead times, increasing airline re-booking costs and forcing HR teams to juggle contingencies such as remote participation or shuttling U.S.-based personnel south instead. Travel managers are being advised to monitor consular dashboards daily and to consider alternative posts—Rio’s wait time, for example, is half that of São Paulo—when feasible.
The U.S. Mission says services remain fully operational despite the backlog and a looming U.S. federal budget shutdown. Nevertheless, it recommends that applicants complete DS-160 forms and pay application fees as early as possible, because interview slots can be released with little notice. Petition-based work visas (H/L) are currently processed under separate, usually faster, queues, but they too could lengthen if the shutdown causes staffing reallocations.
Viva América expects wait times to ease gradually in Q1 2026, once peak holiday traffic subsides and the fee’s implementation dampens speculative bookings. Until then, Brazilian corporates should pad travel lead times, explore interview-waiver renewals when available, and brief traveling executives on the elevated risk of delayed departures.
Two converging forces are driving the backlog. First, pent-up leisure demand collided with a strong real–dollar exchange rate, reigniting family tourism, Black Friday shopping and cruise departures from Florida. Second, thousands of Brazilians are trying to secure appointments before Washington introduces a new US$250 “Visa Integrity Fee” on most non-immigrant categories early next year. According to Viva América CEO Rodrigo Costa, the fee—though not yet in force—has triggered a rush to lodge applications while costs remain lower.
For companies that rotate staff between Brazil and the United States, the longer queues complicate mobility calendars. Short-notice trips for negotiations, trade fairs or maintenance visits may now require two‐month lead times, increasing airline re-booking costs and forcing HR teams to juggle contingencies such as remote participation or shuttling U.S.-based personnel south instead. Travel managers are being advised to monitor consular dashboards daily and to consider alternative posts—Rio’s wait time, for example, is half that of São Paulo—when feasible.
The U.S. Mission says services remain fully operational despite the backlog and a looming U.S. federal budget shutdown. Nevertheless, it recommends that applicants complete DS-160 forms and pay application fees as early as possible, because interview slots can be released with little notice. Petition-based work visas (H/L) are currently processed under separate, usually faster, queues, but they too could lengthen if the shutdown causes staffing reallocations.
Viva América expects wait times to ease gradually in Q1 2026, once peak holiday traffic subsides and the fee’s implementation dampens speculative bookings. Until then, Brazilian corporates should pad travel lead times, explore interview-waiver renewals when available, and brief traveling executives on the elevated risk of delayed departures.
