Brazilian applicants for the U.S. B-1/B-2 visitor visa woke up on 16 October to a new warning in the official scheduling portal: each applicant now has only three chances to cancel or change an interview date. The notice, which began appearing on 29 September, applies to appointments at every Consular Section and CASV (biometrics centre) in Brazil. After the third change, the system blocks further modifications—even if an earlier slot becomes available—unless the traveller pays the visa application fee again. The fee for a B-category visa is US$ 185 (about R$ 960 at today’s exchange rate) and is non-refundable under State-Department rules. Immigration-law advisers note that a family of four could therefore face a second outlay of almost R$ 3,900 if they exhaust the three permitted alterations and later need to reschedule. Business travellers accustomed to booking early and continuously ‘shopping’ for an earlier date are especially exposed, as every cancellation or advance counts toward the limit. Consular sources say the change is designed to reduce ‘appointment hoarding’ that clogs the system and lengthens wait-times in São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Brasília, Recife and Porto Alegre. Under the new policy, applicants must weigh carefully whether chasing an earlier slot is worth using one of the three “lives” that keep their existing payment valid. If work or study plans are fluid, experts recommend holding off on scheduling until travel dates are firm. The U.S. Embassy emphasises that the fee covers processing, not issuance: paying again does not guarantee the visa will be approved. Applicants who can no longer edit an appointment but cannot attend on the confirmed date must either appear anyway or start the process anew—including paying the fee—once the previous MRV receipt is marked as ‘used’. Companies moving employees between Brazil and the United States should therefore allocate extra lead-time and counsel travellers on the new limits to avoid unexpected costs and itinerary disruption. In the longer term, travel-industry bodies are urging Washington to consider a flexible waiver for bona-fide business travellers similar to Brazil’s own frequent-traveller facilitation. Until then, HR mobility managers need to track each reschedule closely and build the possibility of a second fee into cost projections for U.S. assignments originating in Brazil.
Source: Noticias R7
