Brazil’s Federal Police (PF) has stepped up enforcement of the Migration Law by issuing dozens of public notices on 21 October 2026 giving foreign residents ten days to justify prolonged absences, academic drop-outs or failure to renew documentation. The bulletins—published in the PF’s immigration portal—name nationals of Bangladesh, India, Argentina and other countries who risk losing their residence authorisation and facing deportation. The agency says the campaign targets cases where holders of study or work permits leave Brazil for more than two consecutive years without explanation, or where students abandon officially-approved Portuguese courses. Under Article 33 of Law 13.445/2017 and Article 135 of Decree 9.199/2017, such lapses are grounds for cancellation. For employers, the sweep is a wake-up call. Mobility teams should audit expatriate travel patterns and ensure that long-term permit holders obtain exit-and-re-entry permits (AR-IV) or file “absence justifications” when overseas on extended assignments. Universities and language schools acting as sponsors are being asked to report drop-outs within 30 days; failure may incur fines of up to R$ 10,000 per student. Law firms report a spike in emergency consultations as affected foreigners scramble to file defences within the tight deadline. While most cases will settle with a written explanation, repeat offenders could see their National Migration Registry (RNM) cards revoked and face a ban on re-entry for one year. The PF says the blitz will run through December and will be coupled with random audits of employers’ electronic payrolls to spot foreigners working on expired visas. Companies should therefore verify that all Sponsored Foreign Worker (SFW) registrations in the eSocial platform match valid immigration status.
