Brazil’s statutory minimum wage climbed to R$ 1,621 per month on 1 January 2026 (Decree 12.797/2025), an increase of 6.7 percent. While local headlines focused on domestic purchasing power, the ripple effects on immigration are immediate: several visa classes, including the VITEM V local-hire visa and trainee permits, peg their eligibility thresholds to multiples of the minimum wage.
Under Labour-Ministry guidelines released on 5 January, VITEM V applicants hired directly in Brazil must now earn at least twice the new minimum—R$ 3,242—unless a higher prevailing-wage test applies. Technical-services visas tied to short-term projects have moved to a 1.5-times multiple. Employers must upload revised salary data into the eSocial payroll portal; the system will not auto-adjust existing contracts.
Global companies with January start dates should issue contract addenda immediately, because immigration auditors can reject applications that cite outdated figures—even if the petition was filed in December. Fragomen reports a 15 percent increase in “salary compliance” RFIs (requests for information) in the first week of January alone.
![Minimum-Wage Increase Automatically Raises Salary Floors for Key Brazil Work-Permit Categories]()
For employers and assignees seeking assurance that every document reflects the updated wage floor, VisaHQ offers end-to-end Brazil visa assistance, from salary checks against the new multiples to fast-track filing with the Labour Ministry. Explore our services for VITEM V, trainee and other permit categories at https://www.visahq.com/brazil/.
Higher wage floors may also affect budget forecasts for assignees moving under Brazil’s local-plus model, where base salary is pegged to local labour law and allowances make up the rest. Mobility teams may need to revisit cost-of-employment calculators and liaise with tax advisers to ensure that gross-up provisions still hold.
Although the adjustment is routine and predictable, HR departments that overlook the linkage risk visa delays that could derail project start-ups, especially in manufacturing hubs where Just-In-Time production lines depend on foreign engineers.
Under Labour-Ministry guidelines released on 5 January, VITEM V applicants hired directly in Brazil must now earn at least twice the new minimum—R$ 3,242—unless a higher prevailing-wage test applies. Technical-services visas tied to short-term projects have moved to a 1.5-times multiple. Employers must upload revised salary data into the eSocial payroll portal; the system will not auto-adjust existing contracts.
Global companies with January start dates should issue contract addenda immediately, because immigration auditors can reject applications that cite outdated figures—even if the petition was filed in December. Fragomen reports a 15 percent increase in “salary compliance” RFIs (requests for information) in the first week of January alone.
For employers and assignees seeking assurance that every document reflects the updated wage floor, VisaHQ offers end-to-end Brazil visa assistance, from salary checks against the new multiples to fast-track filing with the Labour Ministry. Explore our services for VITEM V, trainee and other permit categories at https://www.visahq.com/brazil/.
Higher wage floors may also affect budget forecasts for assignees moving under Brazil’s local-plus model, where base salary is pegged to local labour law and allowances make up the rest. Mobility teams may need to revisit cost-of-employment calculators and liaise with tax advisers to ensure that gross-up provisions still hold.
Although the adjustment is routine and predictable, HR departments that overlook the linkage risk visa delays that could derail project start-ups, especially in manufacturing hubs where Just-In-Time production lines depend on foreign engineers.
