The U.S. has seen a remarkable surge of 34.8% in visa issuance to Brazilians in H1 2023.
A total of 547,000 visas were issued, representing a significant increase compared to the same period in 2022, when over 405,000 visas were issued.
This data, revealed by a study conducted by the immigration law firm AG Immigration, is based on numbers from the American Department of State.
It highlights Brazil as the third-highest recipient of U.S. visas in the first half of 2023, trailing only behind Mexico (1.3 million) and India (784,000).
Colombia and China followed closely with 261,000 and 254,000 visas, respectively. Interestingly, all these countries witnessed an uptick in visa withdrawals from 2022 to 2023.
Digging deeper into the types of visas issued reveals that the B1/B2 visa, designated for tourism and business purposes, was the most popular among Brazilians.
A staggering 516,800 B1/B2 visas were issued, making up 94.7% of all visas granted to Brazilian citizens in the first half of 2023.
This was followed by the J1 visa, intended for cultural and professional exchange, with 5,400 authorizations, and the F1 visa, for those wishing to study in the U.S., with 4,300 issued.
Here is a breakdown of the top 15 U.S. visas issued to Brazilians in the first half of 2023:
B1/B2 (tourism and business): 516,819
J1 (exchange): 5,488
F1 (study): 4,354
L2 (dependents of L1): 2,749
C1/D (crew members): 2,603
L1 (managers and executives): 1,959
B1 (business): 1,557
A2 (diplomats): 1,369
P1 (athletes and artists): 924
J2 (dependents of J1): 844
EB2 (exceptional skills): 776
F2 (dependents of F1): 775
O1 (extraordinary abilities): 719
IR5 (parents of U.S. citizens): 556
H1B (specialized professionals): 554
This remarkable increase in visa issuances indicates a strong desire among Brazilians to travel, work, study, or engage in cultural exchanges in the U.S. despite the challenges posed by the ongoing global pandemic.