Brazil’s Immigration Observatory (OBMigra) quietly released an updated, fully harmonised RAIS-CTPS-CAGED data set on 22 May, adding preliminary 2026 figures to the country’s main labour-market micro-database. The file—accessible through the Justice Ministry’s portal—merges social-security records (RAIS), digital work-card data (CTPS Digital) and monthly hiring numbers (CAGED) into a single anonymised table covering 2011-2026. For global-mobility practitioners the update is significant.
![Brazil publishes 2026 RAIS-CTPS-CAGED micro-data set, giving mobility teams fresh insight into foreign workforce trends]()
At the practical level, companies that need to translate these insights into compliant visa applications can turn to VisaHQ, which coordinates Brazilian work and residence permits end-to-end and provides real-time status tracking for HR teams. Their dedicated Brazil page (https://www.visahq.com/brazil/) outlines the latest document checklists and processing times, making it easier to align workforce planning with the fresh OBMigra data.
It allows companies to benchmark salary levels, contract durations and regional concentrations of foreign workers with a granularity never before available for the current year. Early 2026 numbers show foreign talent concentrated in São Paulo (42 %), Rio de Janeiro (15 %) and Minas Gerais (8 %), with IT services and renewable energy as the fastest-growing sectors for expatriate hiring. Such insights can support more accurate cost-of-living allowances and policy design for short-term assignments. Brazilian authorities also use the integrated data to calibrate immigration quotas and decide whether to fast-track residence permits in shortage occupations. OBMigra sources say the next quarterly bulletin, due in July, will cross-reference the new micro-data with visa-approval statistics, creating an evidence base for potential tweaks to the VITEM V (work) and VITEM XI (research) categories. Employers can influence that debate by submitting labour-market evidence through the National Immigration Council’s consultation portal. From a compliance standpoint, the richer data make it easier for auditors to spot anomalies—such as foreigners registered in sectors that do not match the activities permitted by their visas. Companies should therefore reconcile their internal HR files against the government’s classifications and be prepared for targeted inspections. Finally, academics and consultancies welcome the fact that the 2026 file is delivered in a machine-readable format compatible with common statistical packages, saving weeks of data-cleaning time. The release underscores Brazil’s push towards data-driven governance and offers mobility managers a valuable tool for strategic workforce planning.
At the practical level, companies that need to translate these insights into compliant visa applications can turn to VisaHQ, which coordinates Brazilian work and residence permits end-to-end and provides real-time status tracking for HR teams. Their dedicated Brazil page (https://www.visahq.com/brazil/) outlines the latest document checklists and processing times, making it easier to align workforce planning with the fresh OBMigra data.
It allows companies to benchmark salary levels, contract durations and regional concentrations of foreign workers with a granularity never before available for the current year. Early 2026 numbers show foreign talent concentrated in São Paulo (42 %), Rio de Janeiro (15 %) and Minas Gerais (8 %), with IT services and renewable energy as the fastest-growing sectors for expatriate hiring. Such insights can support more accurate cost-of-living allowances and policy design for short-term assignments. Brazilian authorities also use the integrated data to calibrate immigration quotas and decide whether to fast-track residence permits in shortage occupations. OBMigra sources say the next quarterly bulletin, due in July, will cross-reference the new micro-data with visa-approval statistics, creating an evidence base for potential tweaks to the VITEM V (work) and VITEM XI (research) categories. Employers can influence that debate by submitting labour-market evidence through the National Immigration Council’s consultation portal. From a compliance standpoint, the richer data make it easier for auditors to spot anomalies—such as foreigners registered in sectors that do not match the activities permitted by their visas. Companies should therefore reconcile their internal HR files against the government’s classifications and be prepared for targeted inspections. Finally, academics and consultancies welcome the fact that the 2026 file is delivered in a machine-readable format compatible with common statistical packages, saving weeks of data-cleaning time. The release underscores Brazil’s push towards data-driven governance and offers mobility managers a valuable tool for strategic workforce planning.
