Visa For Brazil

Vaskil

If you want to stay in Brazil longer than six months out of every 12, your only options are:
-- marry a Brazilian;
-- establish a "união estável", a legally recognized exclusive relationship, with a Brazilian
-- be brought in by a recognized volunteer organization, as you've looked into;
-- be enrolled in an educational program recognized by the Ministry of Education, as you've also looked into;
-- have a job offer and promise of a work contract from a company in Brazil, approved by the Labor Ministry.  As you've discovered, it's almost impossible to get this from a language school;
-- be an contractor or consultant brought in by a company in Brazil, also approved by the Labor Ministry.
Unless you qualify as a stateless person or as a refugee, that's  it:  a Tourist Visa is all that's available, letting you stay for 90 days, plus one 90 day extension; then you have to leave until 180 days have passed.

Is there something special for you about São Paulo?  Volunteer opportunities are probably more plentiful outside Brazil's biggest, richest, most developed city.

Thanks for the reply Abthree. I need to move to Sao Paulo specifically so I can train with a Master swordsman who lives there. He is the head of the sword school I am currently training in. Perhaps the tourist visas are my best option for the time being. However, I really need something that can be renewed indefinitely so I can live in Sao Paulo for at least 5 years.

Do you compete at a national or international level?  If so, there's a special visa for sportsmen that you may qualify for.  Outside chance, but it does exist.

I dont think the competitions of our school would qualify since we compete only with other students of our school.