How do I get to Brazil

03/25/24 Welcome, Catarinha117!  Brazil's immigration system is designed to be flexible and to meet the national priorities of

• Skilled labor for Brazilian development
• Facilitating the constitutional right of Brazilian citizens to live in Brazil with their foreign-born family members, and
• Satisfy Brazil's responsibilities and policies under international asylum and refugee law.

In light of that, the visa landscape may be quite different eight years from now  than it is today.  Keeping that in mind, as things currently stand, you best bet by far if you are able to support yourself with remote work would be the Digital Nomad visa, VITEM XIV.  Check out the requirements on the Visas page of the Brazilian Consulate General responsible for your state.  The visa requires you to derive all of your income from foreign sources, but lets you live in Brazil and is renewable.  It's a great way to get the feel of the country and decide whether it's really for you.

The demand for English teachers is met by Brazilian English speakers and expats who are already legal residents, so Brazil rarely if ever issues immigrant visas for that.  You can have online English students as a Digital Nomad, as long as none of them are Brazilian and you're paid abroad.

Any type of job with a Brazilian employer is extremely difficult to obtain from abroad unless you have special, high-demand skills.  Brazilian salary levels are also generally low by international standards.

Nursing or any other skilled profession will require recertification in Brazil, which is a tedious process, and can be expensive as well.  And again, pay levels are low.

It's great that you're learning Portuguese, keep it up!  This is pretty much a monolingual country so it will really help, and if you try to speak, even if you're not perfect, people will greet you with open arms.

All the best.  I hope that you can realize your plans.

@Catarinha117, you are about the same age as my son and this is what I am planning on doing.  He also has time as he is starting a PhD program.

Plan 1.

I am planning to retire in Brazil in about 10 years or hopefully earlier - and I am going through the process of getting the resident visa by real estate.  I will also apply for my wife and kids (less than 24 yrs old) at the same time.  This will allow my son to visit and decide where he wants to be in Brazil because he will become a legal resident.

Plan 2.

After graduation, my son is planning on working in the tech field.  if he can work from remote, then the digital nomad path is a way to earn in the US and live in Brazil

Plan 3.

My wife is getting her California License in Family Therapy.  This will allow her to practice therapy in California.  With tele-health, she can practice with CA patients from anywhere including Brazil.

A general caution though - the unemployment rate in Brazil is higher than in the US and the salary less.  Hence the ideal condition is to earn in USD and spend in BRL.

Good luck in making your plans and hope that you get to Brazil in a way that satisfies you.

@Catarinha117 I firmly believe that pursuing a remote job is an advantageous path to take, considering the current economic conditions with a low currency value and a highly competitive employment market. However, for individuals seeking alternative opportunities, establishing an English or language school can prove to be a creative endeavor that facilitates smoother navigation through the job scene.