The oil-workers’ union FUP confirmed on 17 December that its strike has now reached every offshore platform in Brazil’s lucrative Campos Basin, as well as multiple refineries. Petrobras claims production remains stable thanks to contingency staff, but helicopter operators report that at least 20 crew-change flights were postponed on Tuesday alone.
For energy companies, the timing is critical: December is peak rotation season, with expatriate engineers flying out before the holidays and relief crews inbound from Aberdeen, Houston and Mumbai. Visa consultants caution that delayed crew changes can push foreign workers beyond their 90-day offshore-visa window, triggering overstay fines payable before exit immigration at Rio’s Galeão Airport.
At this juncture, VisaHQ (https://www.visahq.com/brazil/) can step in to shoulder the bureaucratic burden, fast-tracking offshore-visa renewals, work-permit extensions and crew letters through its São Paulo liaison team; the platform’s real-time status alerts help mobility coordinators avoid costly overstays even when flight schedules slip.
![Petrobras Strike Spreads to All Campos Basin Platforms, Raising Crew-Change and Permit Challenges]()
Mobility managers are scrambling to secure ‘express’ work-permit extensions via the Ministry of Labour’s new e-Migrante platform, but processing times have lengthened to five business days instead of the usual 48 hours as officials juggle strike-related paperwork.
The labour action centres on a deficit in Petrobras’ pension fund and proposed changes to the variable-compensation scheme. Arbitration is scheduled for 19 December, yet union leaders say they may escalate to a 24-hour onshore stoppage that would close the São Mateus and Revap refineries, potentially disrupting aviation fuel supplies.
Companies rotating staff through Macaé heliports should build contingency rest days into rosters and ensure medical-evacuation cover remains valid if assignments overrun.
For energy companies, the timing is critical: December is peak rotation season, with expatriate engineers flying out before the holidays and relief crews inbound from Aberdeen, Houston and Mumbai. Visa consultants caution that delayed crew changes can push foreign workers beyond their 90-day offshore-visa window, triggering overstay fines payable before exit immigration at Rio’s Galeão Airport.
At this juncture, VisaHQ (https://www.visahq.com/brazil/) can step in to shoulder the bureaucratic burden, fast-tracking offshore-visa renewals, work-permit extensions and crew letters through its São Paulo liaison team; the platform’s real-time status alerts help mobility coordinators avoid costly overstays even when flight schedules slip.
Mobility managers are scrambling to secure ‘express’ work-permit extensions via the Ministry of Labour’s new e-Migrante platform, but processing times have lengthened to five business days instead of the usual 48 hours as officials juggle strike-related paperwork.
The labour action centres on a deficit in Petrobras’ pension fund and proposed changes to the variable-compensation scheme. Arbitration is scheduled for 19 December, yet union leaders say they may escalate to a 24-hour onshore stoppage that would close the São Mateus and Revap refineries, potentially disrupting aviation fuel supplies.
Companies rotating staff through Macaé heliports should build contingency rest days into rosters and ensure medical-evacuation cover remains valid if assignments overrun.
