In an unexpected late-night announcement on 15 January 2026, the U.S. Department of State said it will "indefinitely pause" the issuance of immigrant visas to citizens of 75 countries—including Brazil—as it conducts what officials called a top-to-bottom review of the government’s “public-charge” screening rules.
Under the directive, no new immigrant visas (IVs) will be printed or endorsed for Brazilians after 00:01 EST on 21 January. Consular posts will continue to accept documents and schedule interviews, but files will be held in suspense until further notice. Non-immigrant categories (tourism, business, study, exchange, temporary work) are not affected.
For Brazilian nationals and corporate mobility teams scrambling for alternatives, VisaHQ’s Brazil portal (https://www.visahq.com/brazil/) can step in with real-time guidance on U.S. non-immigrant options and document-processing services, helping applicants pivot to L-1, H-1B, E-2, or even emergency B-2 filings while the immigrant-visa pipeline remains frozen.
![U.S. pauses all immigrant-visa issuances for Brazilians starting 21 Jan 2026]()
For Brazilian companies relocating talent to the United States, the move immediately freezes green-card transfers and multinational-manager (EB-1C) cases, forcing employers to rely on temporary L-1, H-1B or E-2 options. Corporate‐planning teams should review assignment pipelines, visa‐expiration dates and quota-cap timelines to avert unintended overstays.
Immigration lawyers warn that dependants who were preparing to “follow to join” the principal applicant will also be stalled; families may wish to seek humanitarian parole or B-2 entries to stay together during the pause. Airlines expect a last-minute rush for flights before 21 January as approved immigrants try to enter on their still-valid visas.
Brazil’s foreign ministry has requested formal clarification from Washington and is reportedly weighing reciprocal measures. Executives with U.S. passport holders assigned to Brazil should monitor developments but do not yet face new barriers, as Brazil has not linked the episode to its own reciprocity policy.
Under the directive, no new immigrant visas (IVs) will be printed or endorsed for Brazilians after 00:01 EST on 21 January. Consular posts will continue to accept documents and schedule interviews, but files will be held in suspense until further notice. Non-immigrant categories (tourism, business, study, exchange, temporary work) are not affected.
For Brazilian nationals and corporate mobility teams scrambling for alternatives, VisaHQ’s Brazil portal (https://www.visahq.com/brazil/) can step in with real-time guidance on U.S. non-immigrant options and document-processing services, helping applicants pivot to L-1, H-1B, E-2, or even emergency B-2 filings while the immigrant-visa pipeline remains frozen.
For Brazilian companies relocating talent to the United States, the move immediately freezes green-card transfers and multinational-manager (EB-1C) cases, forcing employers to rely on temporary L-1, H-1B or E-2 options. Corporate‐planning teams should review assignment pipelines, visa‐expiration dates and quota-cap timelines to avert unintended overstays.
Immigration lawyers warn that dependants who were preparing to “follow to join” the principal applicant will also be stalled; families may wish to seek humanitarian parole or B-2 entries to stay together during the pause. Airlines expect a last-minute rush for flights before 21 January as approved immigrants try to enter on their still-valid visas.
Brazil’s foreign ministry has requested formal clarification from Washington and is reportedly weighing reciprocal measures. Executives with U.S. passport holders assigned to Brazil should monitor developments but do not yet face new barriers, as Brazil has not linked the episode to its own reciprocity policy.
