Since the last weeks of 2016, foreign undergraduates or postgraduates in Brazil may work legally in the country. The measure is also valid for students who have already finished the courses and intend to stay in the country.

On December 22nd the resolution CNIg Nº 124 de 13/12/2016 authorizing the work visa of foreigners was published in the Diário Oficial da União (Official Gazette of the Union) and is already in force.

Before that, work visas were issued only if the student had a job offer from the company and the visa process was bureaucratic. Having the opportunity to apply for the working visa while still in Brazil will certainly facilitate the process for international students who get a job offer while here. But, the conversion of the visa from studies to work type will not be automatic. The students will have to send the request to the General Immigration Coordination (CGIG) in the Ministério do Trabalho (Ministry of Labor), which will analyze the cases and issue the authorizations. The students in the following scenarios may request the transformation of their migratory condition to temporary work: