Brazilians waiting up to one year in line for U.S. visas

Waiting time for a U.S. visa interview has reached up to 354 days in Brazil, according to the country’s consulate general in São Paulo. The agency did not work during the 20 months that American borders were closed during the pandemic and must now deal with a massive backlog. The number of tourist visas issued by the U.S. to Brazil skyrocketed from 24,000 in November to 63,000 in February.

São Paulo is the state with the longest waiting time. This is partly due to it being the most populous and, consequently, with the highest number of people who need a visa. But there are lengthy visa application processes in other places, too. In Rio de Janeiro and Brasília, for example, the waiting time is about seven months.

The consulate says that it might open new vacancies in the calendar to reduce the waiting time, and asks that people who need a visa update the calendar daily to check for open spots.

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