Brazilians rank high among recipients of U.S. visas

A survey carried out by AG Immigration—an immigration law firm based in Washington (USA)—shows that Brazilians occupied third place in the ranking of those who received the most U.S. visas in 2022. In all, there were 815,842 issues of 80 different types of permits, a rise of 618.8 percent compared to the previous year (113,505).

Brazil was only behind Mexico (1.9 million) and China (1 million), and well ahead of Argentina, fourth place, with 259,000 visas received.

The survey was based on official data from the U.S. State Department, from January to December 2022. According to the AG Immigration report, the U.S. consulate in São Paulo was the third diplomatic post that issued the most visas worldwide, behind only the one in Monterrey and the Mexico City embassy.

The ranking of diplomatic posts refers to the American fiscal year, which comprises the period between October 1, 2021, and September 30, 2022.

Another piece of information that draws attention to the study is related to B1/B2 visitor visas—used for business and tourism trips in the USA, which totaled more than 748.5 thousand last year, representing 91.76 percent of the total. This is a 944 percent increase over 2021, a year in which consulates and embassies were closed or with limited services due to the pandemic.

"Undoubtedly, this is the most sought-after visa by Brazilians, who have the B1/B2 as their most accessible gateway to the USA. It allows one to stay up to six months in the country to visit tourist attractions and do various activities," immigration lawyer Felipe Alexandre—AG Immigration founding partner—said in a statement.