Brazil hoping to welcome scores of new immigrants
March 28, 2013
Often the mark of a prosperous nation can be measured in the number of people hoping to move there. While the American dream has inspired countless individuals from across the globe to emigrate to the U.S. over the years, Brazilian officials hoping to inspire the international community to follow the "South American" dream by moving to Brazil. Thanks to prudent partnerships with countries like China and Russia, and a number of major events placing the country in the global spotlight, Brazil is emerging as a wealthy and powerful country - something they hope will lead more people to move there.
Brazil currently boasts one of the lowest rates of foreign-born citizens in the world, reports the Christian Science Monitor, and officials within the country believe that dearth of immigrants is affecting the nation's industries.
"In a globalized world, we need not only the flow of goods and services but also the flow of minds," claims Brazil's Secretary of Strategic Affairs Ricardo Paes de Barros, as quoted by the news source. "We're not after population; we're after talent and human capital. By opening society, we can accelerate the development process."
One way the country is hoping to stimulate this influx of international talent is by rethinking its work visa process. Currently, obtaining a work visa is a process that can take months and requires applicants to submit upwards of 19 separate documents to the Brazilian consulate. Paes de Barros hopes to streamline the process and make visas easier to obtain, a goal they recently took their first steps toward by allowing the documentation to be submitted online.
The group also hopes to issue a wider variety of work visas, including those that would allow the applicant's immediate family to find work abroad as well. There are also plans to make the process cheaper,as well as discussion of a new "conditional" visa, which will allow workers to ply their trade in the country while the consulate researches whether there are comparable domestic employees.
A recent census found that only .3 percent of Brazil's population was foreign born, a statistic that Paes de Barros is eager to change.
"We want to get up to at least 2 percent - perhaps 3 percent," he told the Christian Science Monitor. "The details are still being worked out."
Professionals hoping to work in the South American country will want to invest in calling cards to Brazil, as these useful tools will help them keep in touch with friends and family back home.