Brazil speeds up visas for Haitians with relatives in the country

The Ministry of Justice and Public Safety will now be responsible for analyzing requests for prior residence authorization and temporary visas made by Haitians who have relatives up to the second degree in Brazil.

The objective of the Brazilian government is to speed up the process of granting visas for family reunion. Requests involving women, children, the elderly, people with disabilities and their family groups will have priority.

The measure is contained in an interministerial decree signed by the Ministers of Justice, Flávio Dino, and Foreign Affairs, Mauro Vieira, and is valid until December 31, 2024. The document was published on Tuesday (11) in the Official Gazette of the Union and goes into effect in 30 days.

According to the Ministry of Justice, the measure should benefit about 3 thousand people. Today, many Haitian refugees living in Brazil, welcomed by humanitarian actions, need to resort to Justice to bring their relatives.

The request for prior residence must be made through an online form that will be available on the page of the Migration Department. If the documentation is approved, the Ministry of Justice will inform Itamaraty to authorize the Brazilian Embassy in Port-au-Prince, Haiti's capital, to grant the visa.

The Ministry of Justice will also inform relatives who request the document. Those who get the visa must arrive in Brazil and present themselves to the Federal Police within 90 days to request a National Migratory Registration Card.