Life for those who think of moving to Brazil in the next few years could get easier. The Brazilian Congress is in fact working on a bill that provides greater flexibility for foreign workers. The new proposal could even introduce mechanisms that favor the entry into the country of skilled labor in some sectors.
The fear of the government is in fact that there are not enough workers in the country to meet the demands of the market. “Faced with the expansion of air traffic, Brazil for example, it may need air traffic controllers in the short term and not being able to find them in sufficient numbers and with the necessary speed - explains the secretary of Justice Paulo Abrão - We are thinking about the inclusion of clauses (in the bill, ed) which in responding to cases like this and which could occur according to the economic growth".
After all, for some years now, immigration flows are constantly and rapidly increasing. According to data from the National Immigration Council, in 2011, Brazil granted 70.524 work visas to foreign nationals, 22% compared to 2010. Most of them are employed in the oil, gas and engineering sectors.
To streamline bureaucracy, the bill also proposes the creation of a national immigration agency to meet the needs of foreign citizens. Today, in fact, this task is carried out with serious difficulties and scarce human and economic resources by the Polícia Federal.
The idea is to follow the Argentine model where in 2005 a body dedicated exclusively to the reception of foreign citizens was created. Of the 423 requests for regularization received in five years, the State has in fact granted a good 225 work visas.
If the new law enters into force (expected by the end of 2013), foreigners will be able to apply for a visa directly from Brazil, a circumstance currently impossible given that the paperwork must be carried out in the country of origin.
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