All holders of Brazilian passports need a visa to enter the United States, even if it is to make a stopover of a few hours at the airport. The process for obtaining the document is simple, but rigorous. Therefore, it is worth paying attention to each step, organizing all the documents in advance and being punctual for the in-person phases. Here is some information you need to know in order to schedule US visa:
Procedures
The first thing that is needed to schedule a US visa is to have a valid passport. Having it in hand, the next step is fill out the DS-160 formThe procedure is online. When filling it out, you need to pay close attention.
Any field that is answered incorrectly can compromise and hinder the process of getting the document or even cause the visa to be denied. Filling out is bureaucratic. It is essential to save the form number, otherwise it is not possible to access the page again.
After paying the bill, the applicant must schedule the in-person steps. There are two, done in two days. First it is necessary to schedule a visit to the CASV (Center for Service to Visa Applicants). At this first moment the biometric data and the photo for the visa are collected, which is taken on site. At the CASV you only need to present your passport and proof of your appointment.
The second day of the process takes place on Consulate of the United States to which you have applied in your form. In this part the documents that are listed as mandatory on the site are requested and an interview is also held. Children under 14 and seniors over 80 are normally exempt from this step, unless the consulate requests their attendance.
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Interview
It is the most dreaded moment of the entire bureaucratic process to visit or take up residency in the United States. The consular interview is conducted in Portuguese and the agents are trained to avoid fraud during the visa process. Therefore, the procedure is rigorous.
In general, what you want to know when you apply for a temporary visa, whether for study, work, tourism, etc., is if you have the motivation to return to Brazil or if you will try to stay illegal in the country.
Therefore, it is interesting to bring, even if it is not mandatory, documents that corroborate and prove what you are saying during the interview. Such as a letter of enrollment of your children in a regular school in Brazil, your income, a letter from the company you work for. But only present these proofs if requested to do so.
Despite the dreaded interview stage, Brazil has an exemplary record of approvals. About 97% of visa applications are accepted.
Green Card
For people who want to apply for a US visa and get a green card, this information is important:
O United States Permanent Resident CardIt is granted to an immigrant in specific situations to take up residency in the US. O the green card holder has basically the same rights as an americanThe only requirement is that the immigrant holding the green card must not stay outside the United States for a period longer than one year. Since it is possible to assume that the person who has the green card wants to take up residence in the country.
It is possible to get a residence permit in the USA in different ways:
- Through marriage to a US citizen. After 1 or 2 years the visa is granted.
- By work. In cases of immigrants working in companies that need scarce labor in the country, the visa can be granted in a period of 2 to 5 years.
- With investments. This is one of the easiest ways to get the green card, which is the American permanent resident visa, is through the EB-5 visa program. With it you can get a visa for the whole family (children up to 21 years old). But for this it is necessary to invest at least 500 thousand dollars in businesses that generate jobs in the country.
- By kinship. Family members of U.S. citizens or legal residents can apply for a green card. The application must be made by the family member already residing in the country and can take from 2 to 8 years.
- Drawing. Every year the American government raffles off 50,000 to 55,000 green cards to immigrants from various countries considered to be underrepresented in the United States. Of course, to enter the lottery one must meet certain prerequisites, such as having completed high school and having worked for at least two years in the last five years.
Other types of visas
In addition to the above, you can also schedule US visas for the following types of applications:
- B-1 business visa. It is intended for citizens who come to the US for business, such as trade shows, or for volunteer or academic work as a speaker or lecturer, as long as the activities are unpaid.
- B-2 tourist visa. It is also granted to patients for medical treatments done in the country
- C-1 transit visa. You need to apply in cases of flights with stopovers in the USA .
- F-1/F-2 student visa. For undergraduate students, high school students, elementary students, and language schools. Documentation is required, which the American school must provide to the visa applicant.
- J-1/J-2 exchange program. In cases where you have already been approved in an exchange program. J-2 is for married people who want their spouse to be with them during their study period.
- M-1/M-2 vocational student. For study in non-academic institutions.
- H temporary work. It is accepted in cases where the US company needs professionals and no one else has been found who is more qualified in the country.
- L temporary work transferred. For cases in which the employee already works for a multinational and is temporarily transferred to the headquarters in the USA. It is also necessary to be in a management position or to perform highly qualified and specific work and to have been with the company for at least one year.
CONCIERGE SERVICES
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Our relationship agents have extensive experience in the bureaucratic process of visa application and planning to take up residency in the United States. Contact us and we will answer all your questions.
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