How many Brazilians are moving to the U.S.?

Last year, the U.S. issued 242,000 visas to Brazilian citizens, a sharp decrease from the 625,000 issued in 2019 and undoubtedly a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. With last year’s anomaly aside, however, the U.S. has always been a much sought-after destination for emigrating Brazilians, and visa trends are often indicative of economic phenomena back home.

Using figures from the U.S. State Department, data journalism website Pindograma took a look back at the progression of Brazilian migration to the U.S. over the last two decades, in search of eye-catching trends.

The first main finding is simply that the number of visas being issued to Brazilian citizens has dropped off considerably since the peak period of 2012-2015. When it comes to tourist visas, the hypothesis is that Brazil’s slowing national economy and weak currency have priced a large share of the population out of holidaying in the U.S. The decrease in student visas has been less sharp, with exchange visas for students in government-sponsored programs have seen the biggest decline.

However, while study and leisure in the States have become less frequent for Brazilians, the number of workers moving to the U.S. has risen in recent years, especially among those with college educations or “exceptional ability.” This seems to coincide with Brazil’s own economic and political decline, and may continue to increase if the domestic economy is unable to suitably recover.

We’re not going to Disney World

Around 90 percent of all U.S. visas issued to Brazilians consist of B-1 and B-2 travel permits, intended for business and tourism stays of up to six months.

The charts below show the total number of B-1 and B-2 visas issued to Brazilians each year, alongside the USD : BRL exchange rate...