In the early hours of Friday, 20 February, the U.S. State Department officially stopped issuing immigrant visas in Brazil, implementing a policy first announced on 14 January but widely dismissed as unlikely to take effect. The suspension applies to all categories that confer permanent residence—including family-reunification, employment-based and diversity visas—while tourist (B1/B2), student (F/M) and temporary work (H/L) visas remain unaffected.
The U.S. Embassy in Brasília confirmed to Brazilian media that consular sections in São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Recife and the capital “will not schedule new immigrant-visa interviews until further notice.” Applicants with appointments from 21 February onward have had their slots cancelled automatically; cases already approved are being held in administrative limbo without visa printing.
Travelers and corporate mobility teams scrambling to understand their remaining options can turn to services like VisaHQ, whose Brazil portal (https://www.visahq.com/brazil/) provides up-to-date guidance on visa categories still being issued, third-country processing possibilities, and document requirements. The platform’s step-by-step tools and live support simplify everything from routine B-1/B-2 renewals to expedited filings in alternative consulates, helping applicants stay on track despite the new suspension.
![United States Halts Immigrant Visa Processing for Brazilians, Creating New Backlog Overnight]()
Washington’s move follows a year-long surge in irregular border crossings by Brazilians along the U.S.–Mexico frontier, which exceeded 150,000 in fiscal 2025. A senior State Department official told reporters that Brazil was placed on the list of countries “failing to take adequate measures to repatriate nationals with final orders of removal.” The Lula administration called the measure “disproportionate,” noting that Brazil accepted 8,700 deportees last year, a five-year high.
For multinationals, the immediate impact is a freeze on long-term U.S. assignments originating from Brazil. Immigration counsel Fragomen calculates that more than 6,000 Brazilian EB-3 and family-based petitions were pending at the National Visa Center as of January; those files can now advance only to the point of interview scheduling. Companies should explore L-1 intracompany transfers or E-2 Treaty Investor options (for dual nationals) as workarounds. Employers should also prepare for heightened scrutiny of B-1 in lieu of H-1B business-visitor trips.
The State Department will review Brazil’s status in six months. In the meantime, affected applicants may request case transfers to third-country posts, but availability is severely limited. Mobility teams are advised to update assignment cost forecasts and communicate the new reality to Brazilian employees awaiting green-card processing.
The U.S. Embassy in Brasília confirmed to Brazilian media that consular sections in São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Recife and the capital “will not schedule new immigrant-visa interviews until further notice.” Applicants with appointments from 21 February onward have had their slots cancelled automatically; cases already approved are being held in administrative limbo without visa printing.
Travelers and corporate mobility teams scrambling to understand their remaining options can turn to services like VisaHQ, whose Brazil portal (https://www.visahq.com/brazil/) provides up-to-date guidance on visa categories still being issued, third-country processing possibilities, and document requirements. The platform’s step-by-step tools and live support simplify everything from routine B-1/B-2 renewals to expedited filings in alternative consulates, helping applicants stay on track despite the new suspension.
Washington’s move follows a year-long surge in irregular border crossings by Brazilians along the U.S.–Mexico frontier, which exceeded 150,000 in fiscal 2025. A senior State Department official told reporters that Brazil was placed on the list of countries “failing to take adequate measures to repatriate nationals with final orders of removal.” The Lula administration called the measure “disproportionate,” noting that Brazil accepted 8,700 deportees last year, a five-year high.
For multinationals, the immediate impact is a freeze on long-term U.S. assignments originating from Brazil. Immigration counsel Fragomen calculates that more than 6,000 Brazilian EB-3 and family-based petitions were pending at the National Visa Center as of January; those files can now advance only to the point of interview scheduling. Companies should explore L-1 intracompany transfers or E-2 Treaty Investor options (for dual nationals) as workarounds. Employers should also prepare for heightened scrutiny of B-1 in lieu of H-1B business-visitor trips.
The State Department will review Brazil’s status in six months. In the meantime, affected applicants may request case transfers to third-country posts, but availability is severely limited. Mobility teams are advised to update assignment cost forecasts and communicate the new reality to Brazilian employees awaiting green-card processing.
