this action makes it clear that the current administration is giving up any hopes of international influence, a great shift from the previous workers party administration's stance, which was Brazil to be a leader of the BRICS
By playing international influence game, the workers party managed to overflow Brazilian market with cheap and unfairly produced Chinese industrial goods, paying for it by selling most of our mineral commodities and committing with money-sink international projects with African dictatorships.
At the same time, the aforementioned party gave billions of dollars in infrastructure projects throughout Latin America bolivarian states, that without a doubt won't make returns in any way.
If that is what you call "international influence", I'm relieved we gave it up.
First and foremost, the money went to Brazilian companies that built that infrastructure.
Second, it was a loan that has to be paid back by those governments.
Third, the loan is covered by insurance.
In every loan that got investigated, the money seems to have gone into corrupt politicians pockets, both inside and outside of Brazil.
There was no plan for Brazilian international relevance, but a plan for colluded political parties, to disintegrate nationalities.
You mean like those projects that China funds to successfully increase their international relevance and financial prosperity? Like all the ports and plants and railways?
I think dropping it makes sense, because pragmatically the damage outweighs the benefits. But simplistic, partisan tarring of existing policy doesn't help us learn anything new.
Potentially turned away tourists, but now I also I understand what it's like to go through the process and I'm a big proponent of more free borders. It's a double edge sword, but it certainly left a similar impact on the other Americans I met in Brazil as well.
That is the same as when a Brazilian would like to visit the US. This general waiving of requirements simply guarantees that Brazil's the only one getting the short end of the stick. A negotiated reciprocal agreement would be much better.
It would also be completely unrealistic as millions of Brazilians would just go to the US and stay there. Reciprocity doesn't work between countries with significantly different wealth and standard of living.
I've been on the receiving end of US visa process. They require you to demonstrate that you have substantial ties to your country that would make it more likely that you'll eventually leave the US. Income, real estate or other assets, children/wife staying, that kind of thing. That's not a guarantee you'll return, of course, it just makes it more likely.
Millions? I don't think so. Maybe a few thousands? I think you overestimate the amount of people in Brazil who fancy a life in the US. Furthermore, I also think you overestimate the amount of people who, fancying a life in the US, are actually able to secure financial and social resources to move there.
Brazilians have visa-free access to Europe[0] and you don't see "millions of Brazilians" just going there and staying. Why would it be different?
[0] Technically there's a visa which is granted on arrival
Sometimes, Brazilians in US are categorized as Latinos but in reality, outside Boston and maybe Florida, there isn’t that expressive Brazilian communities in the USA.
Protip: Go to Carioca in Astoria or Copacabana on 39th Ave. Holy shit Brazilians can cook.
I have found their immigration process so onerous, I decided against it. One of the most irritating things was, my wife would not be able to work for 5 years (IIRC, it's been a while) if there are _any_ Germans whatsoever willing to take the job she'd be applying for. She's an accountant, so that would definitely be the case. I mean, I see the point of all this _for Germany_, but that definitely put them at a disadvantage in attracting me to work there, in addition to much lower pay that my profession gets in Germany (which, ironically made the second income much more desirable).
People in the US seem to think that EU is this open borders paradise where "ihre papiere bitte" is not a thing. It very much is a thing.
That's not a honest evaluation.
The current administration is giving up negotiation power on getting Brazilians more freedom of movement in exchange of facilitating foreigners tourism into Brazil.
You are free to disagree with the government's priorities, but you can't deny it is a meaningful exchange (it is not simply giving up stuff), and that it's aligned with its campaign promises, that people overwhelming approved (as 4 of the top 5 candidates had similar proposals).
Does it work against large/rich countries?
The US and Canada are being forced to allow visa free travel for Romanians and Hungarians, so their response has been to create a visa that’s not a visa.
But it depends how far you want to go back. E.g. visas for Croatians used to be required, but scrapped a long time ago.
If this was the case, did the strategy work? I'm not sure if there are any countries that reversed its Brazil visa requirement due to reciprocity. Visa policies typically don't sway to political actions like reciprocity unless the country has some kind of leverage. I love Brazil but on this front I feel it overestimated its geopolitical importance (speaking as someone who went through the trouble to get a 5-year Brazil visa and am happy I no longer need one).
I wouldn't know whether this is allowed or not, as I never had use for such a service, but I know a few people myself who used an expediter in Brazil ("despachante") to ease the process of getting a U.S. visa.
Clearly I know very little.
- go to the embassy's web page,
- load all your personal information for the visa application in the web page.
- schedule an interview
- schedule the visit to the CAS (where they take you a photo and your fingerprints).
So, basically, they manage the bureaucratic procedures that happen BEFORE you get to the interview, and give you advice on the documentation you should take with you to prove you are economically rooted to your country (so you won't become an illegal immigrant)...
But you still need to go personally to both the CAS and the Embassy (on 2 different days). So, not really worth it for anyone who knows how to use a webpage.
Brazil can not have much international influence. Sadly, USA has played a deliberate role in keeping South American countries crime ridden and unstable. Brazil is at max a weak colony of USA.