Curitiba took a concrete step toward labour inclusion on 26 May 2026 when the state government of Paraná, the city hall and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) opened the May edition of the ‘Balcão de Oportunidades’. The half-day fair brought construction, retail, logistics and hospitality employers face-to-face with hundreds of migrants, refugees and stateless persons served by the state’s new Agência do Migrante. Created in November 2025 as Brazil’s first one-stop public service centre for newcomers, the agency has processed more than 7,000 work-authorisation renewals and Portuguese-language certificates in six months. Wednesday’s event extended that model by offering on-site interviews, CV clinics and enrolment in free vocational courses. Vacancies ranged from electricians and mechanics to entry-level roles suited for young asylum-seekers completing secondary school.
![Paraná Launches ‘Balcão de Oportunidades’ Job Fair for Migrants and Refugees]()
VisaHQ can streamline these processes for both migrants and the companies that wish to hire them. Through our Brazil portal (https://www.visahq.com/brazil/), applicants can check document requirements, track application status and receive expert guidance on work-permit renewals, while HR teams gain a single dashboard to manage multiple cases at once. This support complements initiatives like the Balcão de Oportunidades by ensuring that candidates arrive at interviews with compliant paperwork already in hand.
Officials highlighted the business case: industrial output in Greater Curitiba has been constrained by a 4.2 percent shortage of semi-skilled labour, while migrants in regular status face unemployment rates twice the local average. Linking the two, said Justice Secretary Rogério Carboni, “is quicker than issuing temporary visas abroad and keeps families already settled here out of informal work.” For corporate mobility teams the fair signals a maturing ecosystem. Employers that previously relied on federal work-permit channels can now recruit locally authorised talent, shortening lead times and reducing relocation costs. The state also hinted it may expand the model to the industrial hubs of Londrina and Maringá later this year.
VisaHQ can streamline these processes for both migrants and the companies that wish to hire them. Through our Brazil portal (https://www.visahq.com/brazil/), applicants can check document requirements, track application status and receive expert guidance on work-permit renewals, while HR teams gain a single dashboard to manage multiple cases at once. This support complements initiatives like the Balcão de Oportunidades by ensuring that candidates arrive at interviews with compliant paperwork already in hand.
Officials highlighted the business case: industrial output in Greater Curitiba has been constrained by a 4.2 percent shortage of semi-skilled labour, while migrants in regular status face unemployment rates twice the local average. Linking the two, said Justice Secretary Rogério Carboni, “is quicker than issuing temporary visas abroad and keeps families already settled here out of informal work.” For corporate mobility teams the fair signals a maturing ecosystem. Employers that previously relied on federal work-permit channels can now recruit locally authorised talent, shortening lead times and reducing relocation costs. The state also hinted it may expand the model to the industrial hubs of Londrina and Maringá later this year.
