Prospective Brazilian travellers to the United States face the longest wait in two years for a B1/B2 visa interview. Data released by the U.S. Department of State and reported by iG Turismo on 21 September show that the Consulate-General in Porto Alegre now lists an average 75-day queue for first-time applicants. São Paulo and Brasília register 30 days, while Rio de Janeiro and Recife remain the quickest at roughly two weeks. The backlog follows a post-pandemic rebound in demand and staffing rotations linked to America’s new FY-2027 budget cycle. Although Brazilian B-category visa issuance surpassed 1 million in 2025, officers continue to prioritise student and work petitions, lengthening tourist/business slots. Applicants eligible for interview-waiver renewal programmes experience shorter windows because their passports need only be dropped off for document checks. Travel-management companies advise corporate road-warriors to secure appointments at least three months before intended departure, factor in passport mailing time, and monitor consular dashboards—updates occur weekly, meaning slots can open suddenly. HR teams planning Q1 2027 U.S. assignments should reserve interview dates now and consider routing through faster-moving posts if employees can travel domestically. Longer queues also revive debate over Brazil’s still-pending inclusion in the U.S. Visa Waiver Program. Brasilia has met most security benchmarks but the over-stay rate for Brazilian visitors in 2025 (1.9 %) remains above the sub-1 % threshold traditionally required by Washington. Until structural reforms arrive, mobility managers must build the extended lead-time into project budgets and add contingency clauses to travel policies covering rescheduling costs.
Source: iG Turismo
