A fresh legislative initiative introduced in Brazil’s Chamber of Deputies today seeks to fill a long-recognised gap in the country’s migration framework: the status of seasonal farm workers, many of whom arrive from neighbouring Mercosur countries for harvest cycles that last weeks or months. Draft Bill 1649/2026, authored by Deputy Denise Pessoa (PT-RS), would amend the 2017 Immigration Law to create a dedicated temporary visa valid for up to five consecutive harvest years, allowing multiple entries that mirror the ebb and flow of planting seasons. Under the proposal, employers would be required to coordinate recruitment with the National Employment System (SINE) and to file a job-order detailing wages, housing and safety measures before visas are issued.
![New bill in Congress proposes seasonal-work visa for Brazil’s agricultural sector]()
For individual workers and agribusinesses alike, navigating Brazil’s evolving visa categories can be daunting. VisaHQ’s online platform (https://www.visahq.com/brazil/) offers up-to-date guidance and application support for Brazilian visas, consolidating requirements, fees and timelines in one place and providing customer assistance in multiple languages—an asset that could prove invaluable once the proposed seasonal-worker permit comes into force.
The measure aims to curb the informal hiring practices that have led to high-profile cases of labour exploitation—43,000 workers were freed from conditions analogous to slavery between 1995 and 2025, 76 % of them in agriculture. By attaching immigration status to transparent employment contracts, lawmakers hope to give both companies and workers legal certainty while reducing enforcement burdens on labour inspectors. For agribusiness multinationals, the bill could streamline peak-season staffing. Large wine producers in Rio Grande do Sul, for example, currently juggle short-term tourist entries for Paraguayan and Bolivian pickers, who must exit and re-enter every 90 days. A five-year, multi-entry visa would slash travel costs and paperwork, while also letting corporate HR teams project workforce availability further in advance. Compliance obligations will stiffen, however: employers must guarantee adequate housing and pay return transport—costs many currently pass to labour intermediaries. Worker-advocacy organisations have welcomed the draft, but caution that real progress hinges on stricter inspections and budget allocations. They note that earlier norms—such as a 2017 National Immigration Council resolution covering temporary agricultural workers—exist on paper yet are rarely used. The new bill’s explicit visa class, coupled with criminal penalties for recruiters who breach contract terms, signals a stronger enforcement spine. If passed by both chambers, the law would place Brazil among a small group of Latin-American countries—Chile and Uruguay among them—with bespoke seasonal-migration regimes. Given the country’s USD 99 billion agriculture export portfolio and the forecast labour shortfall of 90,000 pickers by 2030, mobility specialists see the measure as a structural upgrade that could stabilise supply chains and improve Brazil’s ESG profile with foreign investors.
For individual workers and agribusinesses alike, navigating Brazil’s evolving visa categories can be daunting. VisaHQ’s online platform (https://www.visahq.com/brazil/) offers up-to-date guidance and application support for Brazilian visas, consolidating requirements, fees and timelines in one place and providing customer assistance in multiple languages—an asset that could prove invaluable once the proposed seasonal-worker permit comes into force.
The measure aims to curb the informal hiring practices that have led to high-profile cases of labour exploitation—43,000 workers were freed from conditions analogous to slavery between 1995 and 2025, 76 % of them in agriculture. By attaching immigration status to transparent employment contracts, lawmakers hope to give both companies and workers legal certainty while reducing enforcement burdens on labour inspectors. For agribusiness multinationals, the bill could streamline peak-season staffing. Large wine producers in Rio Grande do Sul, for example, currently juggle short-term tourist entries for Paraguayan and Bolivian pickers, who must exit and re-enter every 90 days. A five-year, multi-entry visa would slash travel costs and paperwork, while also letting corporate HR teams project workforce availability further in advance. Compliance obligations will stiffen, however: employers must guarantee adequate housing and pay return transport—costs many currently pass to labour intermediaries. Worker-advocacy organisations have welcomed the draft, but caution that real progress hinges on stricter inspections and budget allocations. They note that earlier norms—such as a 2017 National Immigration Council resolution covering temporary agricultural workers—exist on paper yet are rarely used. The new bill’s explicit visa class, coupled with criminal penalties for recruiters who breach contract terms, signals a stronger enforcement spine. If passed by both chambers, the law would place Brazil among a small group of Latin-American countries—Chile and Uruguay among them—with bespoke seasonal-migration regimes. Given the country’s USD 99 billion agriculture export portfolio and the forecast labour shortfall of 90,000 pickers by 2030, mobility specialists see the measure as a structural upgrade that could stabilise supply chains and improve Brazil’s ESG profile with foreign investors.
