New labour-market data published by Folha de S.Paulo on 25 May show that Chinese nationals accounted for 38 percent of all work-visa authorisations issued in Brazil during Q1 2026—3,193 out of 8,232. The monthly average of permits for Chinese citizens has surged past 1,000 since mid-2025, up from just 270 two years earlier. Bahia absorbs 55 percent of these arrivals, largely due to BYD’s electric-vehicle complex in Camaçari. The automaker alone has secured 2,700 visas for engineers and assembly-line trainers since January 2025; subcontractors Falcão Engenharia and Engenova are also heavy users. Executives say most assignees stay 90–120 days, focusing on technology transfer while the local workforce is ramped up. China’s footprint is also visible in São Paulo’s Berrini business district, where more than 50 mainland Chinese firms maintain offices, spawning Mandarin-language restaurants and service providers. The influx has ignited debate: trade unions complain of wage pressures and alleged preference for expatriates, while immigration lawyers counter that Brazil’s 2/3 rule—requiring two Brazilian employees for every foreigner on payroll—remains intact. The Ministry of Justice attributes the rise to streamlined procedures under Brazil’s 2017 Migration Law and the country’s push to attract strategic FDI in renewables and electric mobility. Companies trying to keep pace with these policy shifts have been turning to specialised visa services for help. VisaHQ, for example, offers a dedicated Brazil desk (https://www.visahq.com/brazil/) that streamlines the gathering of documents, schedules consular appointments and tracks application status, giving HR departments and individual assignees a single point of contact in multiple languages. Analysts warn HR teams to monitor quota ceilings: exceeding the 1/3 payroll cost cap for foreigners can trigger fines and contract suspensions. For cities like Camaçari, however, short-term housing and schooling demand from expatriates is already boosting the local economy.
