Brazil has quietly torn up a decade’s worth of nationality-specific humanitarian-visa programmes. Inter-ministerial Ordinance 14/2025, which took effect on 1 January but was only publicised on 16-17 January, revokes special schemes for Afghans, Haitians, Ukrainians and several other groups. In their place the Justice and Foreign Affairs ministries created a single, umbrella framework that will operate via a rolling list of eligible nationalities published by simple decree. Until that first list appears, no one qualifies.
The practical consequence is an immediate stand-still. Consulates have stopped accepting new humanitarian-visa applications and Brazil’s online portal (SEI/MigranteWeb) no longer generates protocol numbers. NGOs say dozens of family-reunification cases—many for Afghan and Haitian relatives—were stranded mid-process overnight. Employers that regularised workers under the old programmes now face a compliance gap when their staff try to renew CRNM residence cards.
Amid this uncertainty, VisaHQ’s Brazil desk can help employers and individuals identify the best alternative visa options, compile the required documentation and submit complete applications online. The service’s country-specific portal (https://www.visahq.com/brazil/) also pushes real-time alerts whenever Brazilian immigration rules change, allowing clients to adjust travel or onboarding plans before bottlenecks arise.
![Brazil scraps nationality-specific humanitarian visas, freezing new filings]()
Immigration lawyers are advising companies to audit humanitarian-status employees and, where possible, shift them to Mercosur, digital-nomad or standard work-permit categories. They also recommend building extra lead-time into onboarding plans for 2026: even if a nationality list is released soon, consular backlogs are likely.
From a policy perspective, the government argues that a single framework will be nimbler during crises—able to add or drop countries quickly without rewriting multiple ordinances. Critics counter that, in the interim, Brazil risks losing credibility as a humanitarian haven and may push vulnerable migrants toward irregular routes.
For mobility managers the message is clear: monitor daily for the first eligibility list, prepare alternative visa strategies, and communicate proactively with affected assignees to avoid last-minute travel or renewal disruptions. (visahq.com)
The practical consequence is an immediate stand-still. Consulates have stopped accepting new humanitarian-visa applications and Brazil’s online portal (SEI/MigranteWeb) no longer generates protocol numbers. NGOs say dozens of family-reunification cases—many for Afghan and Haitian relatives—were stranded mid-process overnight. Employers that regularised workers under the old programmes now face a compliance gap when their staff try to renew CRNM residence cards.
Amid this uncertainty, VisaHQ’s Brazil desk can help employers and individuals identify the best alternative visa options, compile the required documentation and submit complete applications online. The service’s country-specific portal (https://www.visahq.com/brazil/) also pushes real-time alerts whenever Brazilian immigration rules change, allowing clients to adjust travel or onboarding plans before bottlenecks arise.
Immigration lawyers are advising companies to audit humanitarian-status employees and, where possible, shift them to Mercosur, digital-nomad or standard work-permit categories. They also recommend building extra lead-time into onboarding plans for 2026: even if a nationality list is released soon, consular backlogs are likely.
From a policy perspective, the government argues that a single framework will be nimbler during crises—able to add or drop countries quickly without rewriting multiple ordinances. Critics counter that, in the interim, Brazil risks losing credibility as a humanitarian haven and may push vulnerable migrants toward irregular routes.
For mobility managers the message is clear: monitor daily for the first eligibility list, prepare alternative visa strategies, and communicate proactively with affected assignees to avoid last-minute travel or renewal disruptions. (visahq.com)
