>180 days on tourist visa/not yet eligible for retirement visa

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Member since 15 February 2023

thetravelfoxMember31 July 2024 23:18:43

I am writing here for suggestions on how to best navigate visa needs during a period between moving to Brazil and being eligible for a retirement visa when I may "run out of days" on my tourist visa despite several trips in and out of the country.

I am planning on vacating my apartment in the US in November 2024, and moving to my place in Brazil. A wrinkle is I will not quit and retire from my current job between March and June of next year, and the first check proving my >$2,000/month income for the retirement visa probably won't roll in for 45 more days after that date. (Note, I will retain an address in the US.)

I usually have about 30-45 days to play with in the rolling 180 days each time I return, and while I am anticipating monthly trips back to the US in early 2025, at some point next year I am going to run out of wiggle room and exceed the 180 days based on my calculations. So I am in search of a solution, and ideally one that doesn't just require that I park myself in Paraguay for a month or something.

I contemplated applying for a digital nomad visa early next year as a "holdover" option to take the pressure off the 180 day limit issues and also let me apply for the retirement visa at my own pace but am not sure if it's feasible. On the down side, my current employment is not officially remote, so I can't obtain the letter certifying my remote status from my employer. However, I will be able to show $18,000 in funds and have an LLC established. Is some sort of "self-certification" possible?

Anyway, I know the above explanation is a bit convoluted, and applying for digital nomad followed by retirement is spending more than necessary on visa expenses, but I haven't come up with another approach.

I welcome any alternative suggestions and/or feedback on the digital nomad fix above. Thanks!

thetravelfox Member

Member since 15 February 2023

thetravelfoxMember01 August 2024 01:24:52

quick clarification:

A wrinkle is I will not quit and retire from my current job until between March and June of next year...

mikehunter Serial expat

Member since 19 August 2021

mikehunterSerial expat01 August 2024 03:15:58

344

If you are planning on monthly trips in 2025 and are retiring between March and June you shouldn't have an issue with the 180 day limit. Once you get your retirement information, apply for a retirement VISA which will automatically give you 1 year to get your CRNM.

abthree Brazil expert

Member since 28 December 2017

abthreeBrazil expert01 August 2024 12:37:22

5921

08/01/24 @thetravelfox. I agree with @mikehunter: applying for the VITEM XIV Retirement Visa at a Brazilian Consulate in the United States as soon as you qualify for it is definitely the way to go. That way the tourist visa time issue never arises, and unlike documents presented to the Polícia Federal, documents presented to the Consulate do not require either apostilles or Sworn Translations.

If for some reason you want to avoid that and go through the whole Residency Authorization process at the PF in Brazil, you should stay in the United States until you qualify to start the process immediately on your arrival in Brazil with a complete document package.

You CAN provide yourself with a cushion of time on your tourist visa/visa waiver by reducing the time you plan to spend in Brazil before moving, but coming to Brazil in November 2024, four to seven months before you qualify for residency, will present you with the serious problem that your documents will start to expire before you even qualify to apply. This is particularly true of your FBI Background Check, which the PF really wants to be no older than 90 days. This is a problem that even a month-long break in Paraguay won't cure for you. And if there are delays in accepting your application and you run out of visa time before that happens, things will start to get very complicated for you, with denial a real possibility.

The Digital Nomad idea has some merit, but best case, the timing suggests that it's still going to require a document run to the United States when the time comes to change your status.

thetravelfox Member

Member since 15 February 2023

thetravelfoxMember03 August 2024 18:23:18

Thank you to both of you for the advice on this, I appreciate it.

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