VISA TIPS

GENERAL INFO Participants of the Portuguese Language & Brazilian Culture in Salvador da Bahia will need a visa to enter Brazil. (If you not a U.S. citizen, visit the Consulate General of Brazil website to determine if you need a visa). The visa that participants need to apply for is a Temporary Visa - Vitem IV (Student and Intern). The visa application is three part: a) complete the application online b) make an appointment to submit required documents in-person c) submit required documents in-person Part C requires a trip to the Consulate General of Brazil located in Houston. http://houston.itamaraty.gov.br/en-us/address_and_map.xml You can do this, or a family member/friend/ classmate can do this on your behalf. You can also pay a visa service to handle the entire application process for you. Please visit the Consulate General of Brazil website for a list of visa service agents registered with the Consulate: http://houston.itamaraty.gov.br/en-us/agencies.xml THINGS TO CONSIDER 1. You will need a valid passport before you can apply for a visa. -If you do not have a passport, apply now! -If you have an expired passport, apply now to renew your passport. -If your passport will expire within six months after you return from Brazil, you must apply now to renew your passport. http://travel.state.gov/passport/ 2. What is your official state of residence? The Consulate General of Brazil in Houston issues visas for residents of the states under its jurisdiction, as follows: Arkansas, Colorado, Kansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas. The applicant must present proof of residence (copy of driver's license or utility bill) when applying. If you are not an official resident of one of the above states, you will need to locate the Consulate of Brazil that serves your state. GETTING STARTED You can view instructions & the application at the Consulate General of Brazil in Houston website. (You will need access to a printer!) http://houston.itamaraty.gov.br/en-us/applying_for_a_visa.xml

If you plan to be in Brazil before or beyond the program dates, please pay attention to the terms and conditions of the dates of the visa. UT Study Abroad will provide you with the proof of enrollment that is required for your application (see below screenshot). This will be in the form of a letter from ACBEU. You will be notified once the letters are ready.

Criminal Background Check (several options to obtain) 1) At the DPS on 108 Denson Drive. Only for students who were born in Texas. 2) At the police department of your place of residence. 3) Follow the PROCEDURE FOR REVIEW OF PERSONAL CRIMINAL HISTORY RECORD INFORMATION on the Texas DPS site: http://www.txdps.state.tx.us/internetforms/Forms/CR-63.pdf. UT Study Abroad will provide you with a letter from UT Austin proving that you have received the necessary financial support. You will be notified once the letters are ready.

Prove means of transport You do not have to purchase your airfare before applying for the visa. A roundtrip reservation under your name will suffice. Once you complete the online visa application, you will receive a protocol number. With the protocol number, you must schedule an appointment in person for visa document 2

submission at this Consulate. The visa application requires contact info in Brazil. You may use the following for: Language & Culture in Salvador Program Name: Clara Ramos - Associacao Cultural Brasil-Estados Unidos Address: Av. Sete de Setembro, 1883 Corredor da Vitria Zip code: 40-080-002 City: Salvador Province: Bahia Phone: 011-55-(71) 34444411 or 4406 E-mail: clararamos@acbeubahia.org.br Black Diaspora and Community Engagement in Rio de Janeiro Dr. Magali da Silva Ameida, Coordenadora PROAFRO; PROGRAMA DE ESTUDOS E DEBATES DOS POVOS AFRICANOS E AFROAMERICANOS Rua So Francisco Xavier, 524, 8o. andar, sala 8017E Maracan, Rio de Janeiro, RJ CEP 20550-013, Tel 21-2334-0140 Brazil On the day of your visa appointment, you must bring all documents necessary for your visa application to be processed successfully. Payment of the $160 visa fee must be a U.S. Postal Money Order (from a U.S. Post Office ONLY). (Fee may be different if you are not a U.S. passport holder).

Please see following pages for COMPLETE instructions. This information is also available at the Consulate General of Brazil in Houston website. Check their website for the most up-to-date information.

From the Consulate General of Brazil in Houston Website APPLYING FOR A VISA 1. BEFORE YOU START YOUR APPLICATION The Consulate General of Brazil in Houston issues visas for residents of the states under its jurisdiction, as follows: Arkansas, Colorado, Kansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas. The applicant must present proof of residence (copy of driver's license, utility bill, bank statement or lease contract) when applying through a third party and/or for visas which require living within our jurisdiction in the past 12 months. If you don't reside in any of the above mentioned states, check the list of Brazilian Consulates in the USA to find out which Consulate is assigned to your area. American citizens are required to get a visa on their passports before traveling to Brazil. Non-American citizens must present proof they are staying and/or residing legally in the US. If you are not American, consult the visa chart to check if you must have a visa to go to Brazil. You should also consult the visa chart if you are traveling to Brazil on an official mission or if you are the bearer of an official or diplomatic passport. Brazilian citizens, even those with dual citizenship, must enter and leave Brazil with a Brazilian passport. If the applicant was born in Brazil and no longer holds the Brazilian citizenship, documented proof of loss of citizenship must be presented along with the visa application. Brazilian citizens are advised to register their children at the Consulate to guarantee his/her Brazilian citizenship in order to safeguard any rights in the future. If you have a valid Brazilian visa on an expired passport and have had another passport issued by same country, without name changes, you may enter Brazil carrying both passports.

There are currently no mandatory vaccines required to visit Brazil. It is recommended to take a yellow fever shot prior to entering Brazil under certain circumstances. Check for additional procedures if you intend to travel with pets or plants. General information about Brazil, tourism and customs is available on the section TRAVEL INFORMATION of this website. Kosovo and Taiwan passport holders will have their visa issued on a "laissez-passer". Citizens of the following countries must enter Brazil within 90 days from the date the visa has been issued: Angola, Bahrain, Cambodia, Cape Verde, China, Cuba, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Ghana, Greece, Honduras, Indonesia, Japan, Jordan, Kazakstan, Kuwait, Laos, Libya, Myanmar, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Paraguay, Philippines, Portugal, Qatar, Sao Tome and Principe, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Switzerland, Syria, Taiwan, Thailand and Tunisia. The visa will be considered void if the holder does not enter Brazilian territory within the above-mentioned time frame.

2. APPLYING FOR A VISA A) VISA TYPES AND REQUIREMENTS Requirements are listed on this website according to visa type. If you are in doubt about what type of visa you should apply for, please consult the eligibilities page. All minors (under 18 years of age) must comply with additional requirements. Please visit the "Special Requirements for Minors" page for further instructions. The Consulate General may request additional documents and information whenever they are deemed necessary. B) VISA FEES Visa Fee(s) vary according to visa type, lengh and citizenship of the applicant. Please consult applicable visa fee(s). C) SUBMITTING YOUR VISA APPLICATION The Consulate of Brazil in Houston DOES NOT ACCEPT ANY VISA SUBMISSIONS BY MAIL or WALK-INS. PLEASE, DO NOT INSIST.

It is recommended that the visa application is submitted at least 2 weeks prior to intended departure date. It is the applicants responsibility to submit the complete and accurate visa application in due time. No rush services are offered. Hence no expediting fees are charged by this Consulate. After filling out the visa application form and gathering all required documentation, individuals can submit their visa applications either by appointment time at the Consulate (scheduled online; submitted in person or by a proxy) or through one of the registered visa agencies. D) PROCESSING TIME After all application requirements are met, the processing time is: During an Appointment:

On the same day* or up to 4 working days for Tourist and Business Visas On the same day* or up to 5 working days for all other types of visas Visa Submission: from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm BY APPOINTMENT ONLY Visa Pick-Up:from 12:00pm to 1:00pm *Only at the time of your appointment you will be informed if your visa will be issued on the same day or not. The Consulate does not promise same day visas. Applicants should be prepared for maximum processing time. If issued on the same day, tourist and business visas will be ready within 30 minutes after the appointment time; other visa types should be ready within 60 minutes after the appointment time. If the visa is not issued on the same day, you will be issued a receipt stating the date the visa will be ready for pick up. Anyone can pick up the visa from that date on by presenting the receipt.

Groups of 7 or more people AND/OR Visa Agents:

Up to 5 working days (for up to 10 visa applications) Visa submission and Pick-up: Tuesdays and Thursdays from 1:30 to 3:00 pm

These estimated processing times do not include:

The time a visa application is in the possession of a visa agency; The time the applicant takes to provide additional information/documents subsequently required by the Consulate. Citizens of Afghanistan, Central African Republic, Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, Libya, Jordan, Nigeria, Palestine, Pakistan, Senegal and Syria applying for a visa are subject to prior consultation with the Ministry of Foreign External Relations in

Brazil. Consultation will take at least 2 additional business days to process the visa application. Certain visa types that with mandatory consultation to Brazilian Immigration Authorities (such as a VITEM I for volunteers, VITEM VI, VIPER based on retirement or VIPER based on family reunion of spouses married for less than 5 years) do not have specific processing timeframe. The analysis of the visa application in Brazil takes at average 2 to 3 months. Applicant's must provide all required documentation. The Consulate cannot be held responsible for losses or delays caused by incorrectly presented applications either by the candidate or by third parties.

Individuals or groups may bring a return envelope to retrieve their visas by mail. ATTENTION: Mail may only be used to retrieve a visa application submitted during an appointment or though an affiliated visa agency. Visa applications received through mail will be returned without being processed at the expense of the applicant. If you prefer retrieving you visa application by mail, you may enclose to your application a self-addressed Express Mail return envelope from the United States Postal Service (USPS) with stamps/postage in the right amount. Take note of the tracking number on your USPS envelope. After the visa application is processed at this Consulate, all documentation will be returned to the address on your return envelope. Use the tracking number on the USPS return envelope to check when your documentation has been mailed to you and its current status. Notes:

If the visa application is to be submitted during an appointment it is possible that the visa will be ready on the same day. We suggest that you buy the stamps but don't attach them until deemed necessary. A return envelope may used to retrieve multiple visa applications as long as all documentation submitted fits on the envelope. The Consulate is not responsible for any items lost in the mail.

E) VISA STATUS The Consulate DOES NOT give information on visa status. You can check the status of a visa application on-line. Please click here for instructions. 3. FINAL NOTICES

The Visa Section DOES NOT answer phone calls. Any inquiries should be sent by email to visa.houston@itamaraty.gov.br. ISSUING, DENYING, TYPE & DURATION OF A VISA: The decision to issue or refuse to issue a visa, its type and its duration is at sole discretion of the Consulate General based on Brazilian law. The Consulate General does not disclose the reasons for its decisions. A visa shall be denied to any foreign national that, when submitting her/his application, behaves in an aggressive, insulting or disrespectful way towards the Consular Authority or any of the Consulates employees. PLEASE, DO NOT send an email to make an appointment. Kindly follow the instructions on how to make an appointment on-line. If you have hired a visa agency to submit your application(s) all questions concerning your visa(s) must be addressed directly to them. If you are a Brazilian citizen requiring information about your American Visa, kindly consult with the United States Immigration Department. The Brazilian Consulate DOES NOT provide assistance nor has access to any information regarding those matters. Brazilian citizens applying for visas for any country must contact the closest consular office of the country they wish to visit. Itinerary Consulates aim to outreach the Brazilian community. Visa services are for foreigners and are not and will not be offered on those occasions.

How to Apply for a VITEM IV (Student and Intern) Visa

1. WHO IS ELIGIBLE FOR A VITEM IV? A) Students persuyng technical short-term studies (such as Portuguese and Brazilian Culture classes); B) Students pursuing undergraduate, graduate or post-graduate academic or theological studies; C) Unpaid student interns. Terms and Conditions:

Visa holders are prohibited from holding any paid job in Brazil; For extended stays, of at least 6 months, the same type of visa may be issued to immediate family members. However, family members are prohibited from engaging in any paid activity in Brazil.

2. WHAT ARE THE REQUIREMENTS FOR A VITEM IV? Please note that THE CONSULATE MAY REQUEST ADDITIONAL INFORMATION OR DOCUMENTATION AS DEEMED NECESSARY. VITEM IV visa applications must be accompanied by the following documents at the time the visa application is submitted at this Consulate: STANDARD REQUIREMENTS FOR ALL VITEM IV A) Applicant's Passport: original, valid for at least another 6 months on submission date, with at least two blank visa pages. The Consulate reserves the right not to accept soiled, damaged or defaced passports. Amendments and Endorsements pages are for the sole use of issuing country authorities and visas will not be placed on those pages;

B) Visa Application Form: printed receipt page of the visa application form filled out and successfully submitted online duly signed by the passport holder (or parents/legal guardian of a minor) and with the photo attached on the appropriate boxes; C) Photograph: one professional 2" x 2" passport photo of the applicant in color. Snapshots, photocopies and computer pictures are not accepted. Photos must be:

Recent: taken within the last 6 months to reflect your current appearance; Front view: taken in full-face view directly facing the camera. Your full face must be visible. Your head must be centered and not tilted. There cannot be any apparel casting shadows on your face or glare on your glasses; Clear: blurry, underexposed, overexposed and low quality photos are not accepted; With a plain white or off-white background; With a neutral facial expression and both eyes open. Click here for sample pictures. Please glue the photo onto the visa application receipt page;

D) Itinerary: copy of your round-trip ticket, booked itinerary (reservation) or letter from a travel agent under applicants name, with complete itinerary, flight number and arrival/departure dates and reservation code provided by the airline company; E) Proof of jurisdiction: notarized copy of drivers license, utility bills, copy of lease, bank statements and in some cases school documents are all acceptable documents as proof of jurisdiction. VITEM IV visas require that the applicant proves he/she has been living within our jurisdiction within the last 12 months. F) Proof of financial capability: notarized bank statements; and/or notarized letter from the sponsoring institution assuring grant, or scholarship or allowance; and/or paychecks. Applicant must have at least R$ 2.000,00 (two thousand reais) per month to be spent in Brazil. Please verify current currency exchange rates. F1) Family members such as parents may assume financial responsibility for the applicant. In this case, please add a notarized affidavit stating it. In this case, please add documents proving the financial capability of the parent. OTHER REQUIREMENTS FOR A VITEM IV If the applicant will not be applying with a US passport :

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G) Proof of Legal Residency: notarized copy of visa, permanent resident card or US passport or US birth certificate. If the applicant is under 18 years of age: H) Please verify the special requirements for minors. If the applicant is over 18 years of age: I) Police Clearance which must:

Be an original document issued within the past 60 days on a standard letterhead with contact information of the issuing authority. Have sufficient information about the applicant to determine it is not a homonym. Examples: full name, residential address, date of birth, identification document (passport, drivers license or state ID), social security number. Reflect where the applicant has lived on the past 12 months. Bare either an official seal (dry or wet stamp) or have the signature of the sheriff or clerk notarized. Match the applicants proof of address. If any of the above statements are not true, please get a police clearance from a higher rank such as county, state or the FBI. Please note that online background checks and print-outs of the police data base without a standard notarized letter from the Police Department are not acceptable.

If you already have a valid visa on another passport: J) Passport with the valid visa and a notarized letter from the applicant requesting the cancellation of the valid visa. Please note that if your previous valid visa is a VITEM V or VIPER, a letter from the work permit sponsor requesting the cancellation of the work visa or a document from the Brazilian Ministry of Labor stating that the work permit has been cancelled must be presented in order for the new visa to be issued. This applies even if your previous passport was cancelled. If the applicant is a dependent of a VITEM IV: K) Proof of Relationship with the main VITEM IV holder:

Marriage license for spouses.

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Birth certificate for children under 18, or under 24 if the dependent is a student and unmarried.

L) Affidavit of Financial and Moral Responsibility for the Dependents signed by the VITEM IV main holder and duly notarized by a notary public in the United States or a Brazilian notary (Cartrio). If the applicant is a dependent of a VITEM IV and the main visa holder has already entered Brazil with the visa: M) Registration with the Federal Police of the main visa holder stating the validity of the visa and/or entrance/exit stamps from the Brazilian Immigration. SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS FOR A VITEM IV BASED ON THE PURPOSE OF THE VISIT TO BRAZIL: FOR TECHNICAL CLASSES (Case 1A): N.1) Proof of enrollment: original acceptance letter from the Brazilian educational institution indicating type and duration of studies. Letter must be presented in its original and duly acknowledged by a Brazilian notary ("Cartrio"); N.2) Copy of educational institution's registration with the Cadastro Nacional de Pessoas Jurdicas (CNPJ). FOR GRADUATE AND UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS (Case 1B): O) Proof of enrollment: original acceptance letter from the Brazilian college or university indicating type and duration of studies. Letter must be presented in its original and duly acknowledged by a Brazilian notary ("Cartrio"). The Brazilian educational institution must be registered with the Ministry of Education in Brazil; FOR INTERNS AND STUDENT TRAINEES (Case 1C): According to Brazilian legislation, an internship is the supervised academic education in a work environment aimed at preparing a student (attending regular classes at superior education institution) for productive work. P.1) A notarized agreement (Termo de Compromisso de Estgio) signed between the intern, the Brazilian institution providing the internship and a Brazilian University. The agreement must contain specific information on the activities to be performed, the duration of internship and the supervising role of the Brazilian Univeristy. The activities to be carried out by the applicants as a student should be compatible with those as an intern described in the agreement.

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P.2) Applicant must show proof of his/her current enrollment in a U.S. University prior to conclusion of workcourse (undergraduate, graduate or post-graduate); 3. HOW MUCH DOES THE VISA COST? Please consult visa fees. 4. HOW CAN I SUBMIT A VISA APPLICATION? HOW LONG WILL IT TAKE TO PROCESS A VISA APPLICATION? Please consult how to apply for a visa and processing times on the Applying for a Visa/Submitting your Visa Application section of our website. Applicants must provide all required documentation. The Consulate cannot be held responsible for losses or delays caused by incorrectly presented applications either by the candidate or by third parties. 5. NOTES Brazilian supporting documents must be originals duly notarized by a "Cartrio" in Brazil. ATTENTION: some VITEM IV holders must be registered with the Federal Police within the first 30 days of their arrival regardless of the lengh of their stay in Brazil. A Visa Form will be issued in order to proceed with the registration. The form must be an original. Please be diligent. Failing to to register in time will result in daily fines. If you need to be registered, it will be written on the notes on your visa label. Duration of stay in Brazil is annotated in the visa. Extension, if applicable, must be requested at the Brazilian Federal Police 30 days before the visa expires and authorized at their discretion. Currently there are no mandatory vaccines required to visit Brazil. It is recommended to take a yellow fever shot prior to entering Brazil under certain circumstances. Citizens of the following countries must enter Brazil within 90 days from the date the visa has been issued: Angola, Bahrain, Cambodia, Cape Verde, China, Cuba, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Ghana, Greece, Honduras, Indonesia, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Laos, Libya, Myanmar, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Paraguay, Philippines, Portugal, Qatar, Sao Tome and Principe, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Switzerland, Syria, Taiwan, Thailand and Tunisia. The visa will be considered void if its holder does not enter Brazilian territory within the above-mentioned time frame.

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Citizens from the following countries applying for a tourist visa are subject to prior consultation with the Ministry of Foreign External Relations in Brazil and the following additional information such as detailed information on applicants place of lodging in Brazil (hotel reservation or letter from Brazilian host) and 3 months bank statements are required: Afghanistan, Central African Republic, Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, Libya, Jordan, Nigeria, Palestine, Pakistan, Senegal and Syria; Kosovo and Taiwan passport holders will have their visa issued on a laissez-passer. Incomplete applications will be returned at the expense of the applicant. The Consulate may at any time request further information or additional documents deemed necessary. General conditions are subject to change without prior notice. Please note that a visa is not an applicants right and may be denied. It does not guarantee the right of entry or stay in Brazil and can be cancelled at the discretion of the Brazilian immigration authorities.

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