Married to Brazilian in Brazil - Visa expiring

@Mozok What kind of Visa do you have right now?

06/07/24 Good evening, Mozok.  If you're in Brazil on a tourist visa/visa waiver, what you need most right now is time.  Does your first 90 days end on July 1?  If so, ask the PF for an extension before that happens.  If you're already on your extension and your time really is up on July 1, I would recommend talking to a Brazilian lawyer  with immigration experience about your situation as soon as possible.   If the Federal Police list you as an overstay, that will complicate the rest of the process; the lawyer might be able to keep that from happening.

The only way that you're going to have a FBI Background Check for sure before July 1 is to fly to Miami ASAP, go to a FBI Approved Channeler (see information at the FBI link below), get it, and bring it back.  That should only take you two or three days.  If you do that, bring back at least two originals and an electronic version; the Channeler can provide these for an additional fee,

If you don't want to do that, you can request the Background Check yourself from the FBI here:

https://www.fbi.gov/how-we-can-help-you … ary-checks

(The information on Channelers is at the bottom of the page.)

You can try to get fingerprinted at the Federal Police or at the local police.  They used to be pretty cooperative about it, but more and more they are turning fingerprinting requests down.  Still, it's worth a try.  You can also do it yourself.  A search on "Fingerprinting" will provide you with instructions.

For your own use or for the police, download the FBI fingerprint card here, and print it on white paper or card stock: 

https://www.fbi.gov/file-repository/fd- … 0.pdf/view

Follow the FBI instructions above to submit the card and make your request.  Request additional originals and an electronic version if available.

To save time with documents requested from the FBI, you may want to consider having the Background Check(s) sent to a family member or friend in the US, and have that person express it/them to you. 

From the way you describe the PF request, it sounds like they won't require an apostille on the Background Check, just the document itself and a Sworn Translation.  If they DO demand an apostille and your lawyer can't talk them out of it, that's what the extra originals and electronic version are for.  There are services in the US that will obtain the necessary apostille from the US Department of State for you; they probably will be able to work with the electronic version, but you may need to send them an original.

Please let us know how your request progresses.

Suggested Action Plan .

Request Criminal Background Check from the FBI:

Visit the FBI website and initiate the process of requesting a criminal background check.

Use an FBI-approved channeler if necessary.

Fingerprint Collection:

Look for companies or services in São Paulo or Piracicaba that offer fingerprint collection.

Contact the Federal Police to check the possibility of fingerprint collection.

Prepare for Visa Extension:

Prepare a visa extension petition, explaining the need for more time to obtain the required documents.

Submit this petition to the Brazilian immigration authorities.

Translation and Apostille:

Ensure that all documents are translated and apostilled as required.

Monitoring and Follow-Up:

Continue monitoring the progress of the residency application and maintain regular contact with the authorities to resolve any issues that may arise.

We are a law firm based in São Paulo, Brazil. We understand the challenges you are facing with your residency process. As a gesture of solidarity, we have outlined a suggested action plan for you. However, if you find that you need further assistance or have any difficulties, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Best regards,

Marcelo

@Mozok Good Luck! I know everyone's favorite answer is to get a Background Check without leaving Brazil. I had an FBI Background Check with fingerprints twice. Once in Miami and once in R.I. The quick trip to Miami is surprisingly affordable. The fact is time is not on your side. You can try to find a workaround with someone in Brazil or you can bite the bullet and take a short trip to the USA. Since the FBI is a domestic organization trying to get it done from another country outside the USA is iffy and will take up valuable time.

Roddie in Retirement