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Ugh... Brazil tourist visa rejected for weekend mileage run

Ugh... Brazil tourist visa rejected for weekend mileage run

Old Aug 26, 2002, 8:56 am
  #1  
JSD
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Ugh... Brazil tourist visa rejected for weekend mileage run


Lovely. The Brazilian Consulate of SF has rejected my tourist visa for a quick weekend mileage run / mini-vacation to Rio in September (down on Friday night, back on Sunday night). Their explanation: they think its a business trip.

First of all, ...!?! Why do they care? At the risk of sounding like a an arrogant American, shouldn't they be happy to get any American dollars they can get into their economy??

Has anyone run into a similar situation on a mileage run or vacation to a country that requires a visa for US citizens? Any recommendations? I'm currently composing a letter asking the consulate to reconsider and basically explaining the situation, but I don't know if it will help.

Any thoughts / advice would be greatly appreciated.

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Old Aug 26, 2002, 9:40 am
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Can you just apply for a Business Visa? When I got my Brazilian Visa a few years ago I dropped off all the paperwork in person, along with my Passport, and came back the next day to pick everything up. I wrote my own "Cover Letter" stating the purpose of my visit. My Visa is good for 5 years. I'd recommend a trip to the Consulate in person, and if you can drag along a Brazilan friend all the better.

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Old Aug 26, 2002, 9:51 am
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...? What American dollars are you spending there for just 3 nights? Secondly, why did you tell them or put down on your visa application that you were returning on Friday night? You should have just said that you would be there on a two week vacation. If they should question your 3 day stay upon departure, you could say that you had an emergency call to return.
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Old Aug 26, 2002, 10:09 am
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I think u need to show return tickets for Visa application nowadays. If thats the case, Anyway, you can buy fully refundable tickets for a 2-week stay in Brazil to show for visa, after obtain the visa, you can refund the tickets and actually use the 3-day ticket instead.
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Old Aug 26, 2002, 11:16 am
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Grunt. I just applied for a Brasilian visa on Friday. Only gave them an itinerary for one day in Sao Paulo. Oh well. Good bye $65 fee + $15 parking + petrol + wear and tear on car + 4 hours driving time. Sigh...
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Old Aug 26, 2002, 11:27 am
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<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by YesHyM:
...? What American dollars are you spending there for just 3 nights? Secondly, why did you tell them or put down on your visa application that you were returning on Friday night? You should have just said that you would be there on a two week vacation. If they should question your 3 day stay upon departure, you could say that you had an emergency call to return. </font>
So your solution for JSD is that he should have lied on his application in the first place?



[This message has been edited by dhacker (edited 08-26-2002).]
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Old Aug 26, 2002, 11:28 am
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<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by transpac:
Can you just apply for a Business Visa? </font>
If you go the business visa route, be aware of the requirements, which include:


4. Letter (on letterhead) from the applicant's employer, addressed to the Brazilian Consulate General, stating the employee's name and title, how long he/she has worked for the company. Please, state very clearly in the letter, the nature of the activities to be performed in Brazil, as well as the duration of stay. Applicants will be required to present additional information if deemed necessary (see item 10 , below).


Of course, you could always try getting a letter from your employer stating you are not travelling on business for them, but rather it's a short personal visit.

The Brazilian Consulate in SF is a bit abrupt and autocratic. When I last visited them, I politely requested a 5 year multi-entry visa which got me glared at and sharply told, "we'll make the decision how long your visa will be for if any". The next day I returned, waited to be called and eventually was handed back my passport with a 5 year visa.

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Old Aug 26, 2002, 11:28 am
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<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by YesHyM:
...? What American dollars are you spending there for just 3 nights?</font>
That comment was half-tongue-in-cheek.

Unfortunately, you need to show a copy of your ticket these days. If I had realized it was going to be such an ordeal, I would have bought the fully-refundable 2 week ticket to give to them.

I think they maybe suspicious because my passport has stamps from my previous three previous weekend trips to S.A. this year (two to EZE and one to SCL). I probably fit the profile of a business traveler a lot more than that of a leisure traveler.

We'll see how it goes.
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Old Aug 26, 2002, 1:47 pm
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<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by fuzzywzzy:
Grunt. I just applied for a Brasilian visa on Friday. Only gave them an itinerary for one day in Sao Paulo. Oh well. Good bye $65 fee + $15 parking + petrol + wear and tear on car + 4 hours driving time. Sigh...</font>

i didnt know they called it petrol in chicago.

i thought it was "gas."

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Old Aug 26, 2002, 2:00 pm
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Unfortunately the Brazil consulates are in complete control over the visa process. In North America, they inevitably offer me a 90 day business visa because they realize that, because I travel there on business, that I'll pay them to go back !!!

Oh to be able to get a multiple-entry visa! What a luxury to be able to go there on the spur of the moment!

JL
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Old Aug 26, 2002, 3:20 pm
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It is worth the effort to try again. I think most Brazilians would appreciate the game you're playing doing a mileage run. You'll do better face to face though.

I also wouldn't expect the same response at other consulates, they're all a bit different.

Bringing along a Brazlian always helps. My daughter is Brazilian, and they love hearing that.

5 year visas are the norm, and they are great. I'm going down wednesday for 3 nights on short notice, no problem.
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Old Aug 26, 2002, 4:21 pm
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On this same subject...
Has anyone *not* entered Brazil within 90 days of aquiring the visa as required? I have a perfect opportunity to renew my visa in SF next month, but don't plan on going to Brazil until Jan.
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Old Aug 26, 2002, 5:08 pm
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The airlines check your visa and won't let you go if your visa is no good. A client of mine got a visa but let it lapse (didn't travel the first 90 days after he got the visa). The airline caught it and didn't let him travel.
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Old Aug 26, 2002, 5:59 pm
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<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by braslvr:
On this same subject...
Has anyone *not* entered Brazil within 90 days of aquiring the visa as required? I have a perfect opportunity to renew my visa in SF next month, but don't plan on going to Brazil until Jan.
</font>
I would say that they are very strict about the 90 day rule. An acquaintance of mine actually did enter Brazil within 90 days of getting his visa, but the ink on his Brazilian entry stamp was very light and later another country stamped an entry over the top of it. When he arrived in Brazil the next time they refused him entry saying that the visa was invalid because he had not entered within 90 days (he later found the overstamped original entry and was able to convince them to let him in).
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Old Aug 26, 2002, 6:36 pm
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<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by dogcanyon:
I would say that they are very strict about the 90 day rule.</font>
The last two times I've entered Brazil (at GRU), they couldn't be bothered to check for any visa in my US passport, let alone a valid one. The passport I handed them, which they promptly stamped and returned, didn't have a visa in it. My 5 year visa (still valid) was in my old passport ready to be presented if they asked for the visa. They didn't ask. The airlines certainly asked though.

That said, realize that a Brazilian visa not entered on within ninety days from the date it was issued, is invalid. And entering a country on an invalid visa is not a very bright thing to do even if you do somehow get past the port of entry.

http://www.brazilsf.org/faq%20visas.htm




[This message has been edited by Quokka (edited 08-26-2002).]
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