Visa status during Pandemic

AfroPrince wrote:

Anyone have an idea on whether visa entrance requirements are extended if you haven't been able to travel to brazil during the pandemic?  What happens if you are outside over 2 years of the visa limit?  Can you extend you visa in your local embassy?

Great question, but where, what country are you in? 
Travel from the USA really has not been blocked or at least, never for long. They also stopped requiring medical insurance for tourists.  I know the Consulates in the USA extended first trip times on VITEM XI Visa's from 6-months, up to a year for now.

For foreigners who are outside Brazil when their temporary visas expire, it's doubtful that they will be extended:  they'll probably expire normally, and the foreigner will need to re-apply.

If you're talking about a CIE/CRNM and you've been absent from Brazil for over two years, you definitely should check with the nearest Brazilian Embassy or Consulate in the country where you now live to determine your options.

I too agree with abthree, Foreigners outside Brasil pandemic, no pandemic, over that amount of time had plenty of opportunities to return and leave; therefore keeping it in force.
Too convenient to think COVID would help.

Health Alert: October 22,2020 
Location:  Brazil
Event:  Suspension of Automatic Length of Stay Extensions
Effective November 3, 2020, the government of Brazil has suspended the March 16, 2020 regulations that automatically extended the length of stay for permanent residents and legal visitors in Brazil during the COVID-19 crisis.  Please note that a tourist visa (electronic or paper) is not required for U.S. citizens to travel to Brazil for the purposes of tourism, business, transit, and artistic and athletic activities, for stays of up to 90 days.  According to the new decree, the period between March 16, 2020 and November 3, 2020 will be disregarded when assessing whether a visitor’s stay exceeded the allowable length.
Regarding the Brazilian immigration process,immigration documents that expired after March 16th, 2020 will be accepted if the immigrant has remained in Brazil and seeks regularization before March 16, 2021. 
Although Brazil has opened its borders to visitors traveling by air, U.S. citizens considering international travel should be aware that Brazil remains at a Level 4 Travel Advisory (Do Not Travel) and continues to experience high daily case numbers of COVID-19.  In addition, it is important to note that U.S.-based health insurance policies are generally not accepted by medical providers in Brazil. 
Actions to Take:
•    For up to date information on Brazilian immigration and visa issues, please contact theBrazilian federal police.
•    Review the entireOctober 19 Brazilian Government Announcement (in Portuguese). 
•    See the State Department’s Level 4 Travel Advisory for Brazil
•    If you have questions, visit the U.S. Embassy website on COVID-19 or contact the U.S. Embassy or Consulate General closest to you.
•    Follow the U.S. Mission to Brazil on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.
•    Enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) to receive Alerts and Messages from the U.S. Embassy.

Has anyone heard any update on this?  I am in the UK which has some heavy restrictions imposed - Brazil, Portugal are in red zones which currently prohibit travel.  very soon, I will be at 2 years and I suspect my permanent visa will cause me to lose it due to not presenting myself at a port in Brazil. 

I have looked at consulate websites but have not seen anything in this regard (I will perhaps send an email to see if there are any options).  Has anyone been in this situation?  Will there be a special exemption due to this situation that we are in?

You are allowed into BR, Must be in Brazil before March 16, 2021
The extension was removed on November 16, 2020.

You’ve got til 16 March 2021 to enter Brasil; after this date, your CRNM/RIE is invalidated.

Barring that, you may enter Brasil but only from a third country, as direct flights from the UK are not permitted.  You’d need a PCR test less than 72 hours old with results in English, Portuguese or  Spanish, and most likely you’d have to quarantine for 14 days.

As per the website of the Brasilian Embassy in Berlin (http://berlim.itamaraty.gov.br/en-us/en … f_stay.xml) you can please see below:

For the period of absence of a maximum of 2 years, specified in Art. 135, Paragraph III of Decree No. 9.199 / 2017, that is, an uninterrupted stay outside of Brazil, the calculation will be suspended between March 15, 2020 and November 03, 2020.

Full text below:

ATTENTION!

Resumption of the calculation of residence periods for foreigners in Brazil and the validity of residence permits (RNE / CRNM / CIE) from November 03, 2020

On October 21, 2020, the Ordinance No 18-DIREX/PF was published by the Brazilian Federal Police (Polícia Federal).This Ordinance ends the regulation, which has been in effect temporarily since March 16, 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, regarding the suspension of the calculation of residence periods and the validity of residence permits for foreigners in Brazil.

The full text of the Ordinance No 18 in Portuguese is available -> HERE.

Accordingly to the Ordinance No. 18-DIREX/PF, registration protocols, residence permits (RNE / CRNM / CIE) issued by the Brazilian Federal Police, as well as other Brazilian ID cards and documents proving the residence status, whose validity date expired after March 16, 2020, will continue to be accepted and can be used until March 16, 2021 to enter Brazil or to register with the Federal Police.

The protocols, permits or ID cards expired after March 16, 2020 will only be accepted if the foreigner has stayed in Brazil continuously and regulates his/her residence status by March 16, 2021.

The period between March 16, 2020 and November 3, 2020 will not be taken into account when evaluating and calculating the alleged exceedance of the residence period by tourists and visitors (holders of VIVIS or entered visa-free).

Regardless of the date of registration of a temporary visa (VITEM), the permitted length of stay continues starting with the first entry into Brazil with the respective visa.

Temporary visas (VITEM), even if not registered with the Brazilian Federal Police, can be used for re-entry into Brazil as long as they are valid or if the validity period has been extended in exceptional cases (exceptionally) the Brazilian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Valid temporary visas (VITEM) must be registered with the Federal Police by March 16, 2021 at the latest. If you re-enter the country with a valid VITEM, the registration deadline will also end on March 16, 2021, so that the usual 90-day registration deadline may no longer apply.

For the period of absence of a maximum of 2 years, specified in Art. 135, Paragraph III of Decree No. 9.199 / 2017, that is, an uninterrupted stay outside of Brazil, the calculation will be suspended between March 15, 2020 and November 03, 2020.

NOTE: In general, the next time a holder of a CRNM/RNE/CIE, who has exceeded the allowed 2 year absence period, enters Brazil, must present the still valid document at passport control and later on contact the Department of Federal Police (Polícia Federal), which is responsible for the jurisdiction of place of residence in Brazil to submit a justification (justificativa) for the absence of more than 2 years and apply for the renewal of the residence permit.

Just saw this post by Tony. I have been fretting about needing to go to Brazil to keep my CNRM alive -- the last time I left the country was Sept. 1, 2019, and I have not felt safe going back due to COVID.

If I am reading this correctly, there was a decree on Oct. 19, 2020, saying that the calculation of the two-year period would be suspended from March 15, 2020 through Nov. 3, 2020 -- adding 7.5 months to the two years.
https://www.in.gov.br/web/dou/-/portari … -283995940

Then the German Embassy adds on its website that if you do stay out of the country for over two years, in accordance with that decree, you need to submit a justification at your local Federal Police office next time you're in Brazil.

So now I'm wondering how tough that justification process is. If I was not legally prevented from traveling to Brazil, but just felt that it was unsafe and unwise, is that enough? The U.S. government is still advising U.S. citizens not to travel to Brazil. Has anyone gone through this or a similar justification process?

Many thanks for any help or advice!

05/26/21

BraGringa,

I read it the same way you do.

In your situation, I'd consider determining around July or August whether a short visit before September 1 would be safe.  If not, I'd have a "To Whom It May Concern" letter ready when I finally did go to the Federal Police to renew, that said that my return to Brazil was delayed by covid-19, and not elaborate further.

Thank you, abthree! My wife is traveling to Brazil to see her mom in July, so I can get a firsthand assessment of the situation in Sao Paulo then. Hope all is well with you in hard-hit Manaus!

BraGringa wrote:

Thank you, abthree! My wife is traveling to Brazil to see her mom in July, so I can get a firsthand assessment of the situation in Sao Paulo then. Hope all is well with you in hard-hit Manaus!

05/26/21

Thanks!

We're doing well.  New cases have been declining for at least a month in Amazonas, one of only five states where that's true.  I'm fully vaccinated, although my husband is not -- they haven't gotten down to his age group yet -- so we're still observing all the social distancing protocols.  Just taking things day by day.