Brazil Visa- Difficult situation
 

Hello,

I'm seeking for any advice or help in regards to obtaining a Brazil visa with my difficult situation. Any help is appreciate, please no mean comments. I completed the application for the evisa online and when I submitted all items and answered questions, I received a message stating that in order to obtain my visa, I would need to go to the consulate. I called the help line to determine why and they informed me that due to checking "yes" to one of the application questions, I must visit a consulate and I cannot obtain the visa online. I had to check yes for being arrested. I was arrested over five years ago for a DUI and completed a diversion for this. I have documentation for this.

My jurisdiction to obtain the visa would be Houston, TX. They require an appointment only and I cannot mail my application in. It would be difficult for me to go to Houston as I do not live in that area and to add extra stress, I need to obtain this visa in 27 days. On the Houston jurisdiction website, it states that a different person or someone from an agency can represent you. The website has a list of agencies and I emailed the first one on the list. I informed them of my situation and they said that they would be able to provide me with a visa within 3-5 days. I asked them that even though they represent me in this situation and I pay the money, that it is not guaranteed that I will be approved? The agency emailed me back and stated: "You should be fine I would not worry about it." It costs $299 for the visa and $165 for them to go to the consulate for me.

My question is, does anyone by chance have advice or experience in this type of situation and did you or someone you know still receive approval for the visa? I'm willing to pay all of the fees to the agency but I'm worried that I will be declined the visa due to my arrest and that the company says I should be fine because they just want money...

Thank you for your time and help.

Welcome to Flyertalk!
As you describe the situation, what choice do you have other than to try the visa service. You mentioned you emailed the first one of several, you could contact others to see if you receive a consensus response. Perhaps as you fear, they may all be after the money, but maybe some are more upfront about things.

The 10 year, multiple entry tourist visa for Brazil costs U$160. Period. (The evisa is only a 2 year visa and costs less.)
Above that, there would be a charge for the visa agency to take your documents up to the Brazilian Consulate. I believe there are visa agencies that charge U$90 for their services.
All these visa agencies must block time/make appointments at the Brazilian Consulate well in advance, in no particular applicant's name, in order to guarantee the promised turn-around time you were quoted. Usually when you go online to make an appointment to bring in your docs, the appointments are already booked fairly far out.
That particular Consulate states that they process tourist visas the same day (often) or within 4 days of bringing in the documents necessary at an appointment scheduled online. There are no expedited visas for individuals or agencies applying for individuals.

As to your DUI charge, IMO it would not be considered serious enough to deny you a visa. They probably just want a chance to personally go over the details of whatever infraction the applicant admitted to online.
However, do keep in mind that while in Brazil their Lei Seca is taken very seriously by the authorities, so do not drink and drive there.

Using a visa service isn't going to help IMHO because of your initial application already being in their system.

Brasil is a very bureaucratic country, and it may appear to the consular officials that you are specifically trying to circumvent their process by doing so. They will not like that.

Just my two Centavos.......YMMV.

If:
......how is that "trying to circumvent their process"? He's been instructed to apply at the Consulate. If he applies in person or a visa agency applies for him, as long as the Consular official sees the paperwork regarding the infraction, IMO who brings it in shouldn't matter and certainly shouldn't/wouldn't be considered "circumventing their process".

He's been asked to go and see them personally, as I read the OP, and perhaps that is where the difference lies.......his criminal conviction.

So he decides to resend a brand new visa application again, thru a third party agency instead.

Consular official goes ????........when he/she matches them up.

It's like a kid asking Mommy for something, she says no, and the the kid goes to ask Daddy for the same thing.

Obviously we see this situation very differently.
He was told that the documents should be presented at the consulate. That should be in person as that particular Brazilian Consulate only does visa business that way, not by mail. However, the application and documents "in person" at that Consulate can be presented by the person him/herself, a third party individual representing that person or an agency representing that person.
He would, of course, include information about the DUI with the other printed documentation required.
The consular official does not have to "match up" anything, because whoever presents the documents is going to tell the staff member about trying to apply online and present the pertinent documents regarding the DUI. It's not like anyone is deliberately trying to hide anything.
IMO, the OP should be able to go by the rules for other applicants with an appointment for a .document review, and a friend who work at another BC agrees.

I am interpreting it as they want him to go for a personal interview. Not an uncommon request by a consulate made on a visa applicant with issues.

Best of luck regardless to the OP.

OP - It is silly to argue about what it all might mean. The answer is a phone call away. It also matters a great deal and parsing through the words won't help if the Consular officer simply says to OP, "it doesn't apply to your situation."

I would not rely on general information on the Consulate's website. Rather, I would call and ask whether in your specific situation, having had you e-visa rejected as the result of a criminal conviction, a third party agency may still represent you and whether it will be as effective as a personal appearance by you.

If a personal interview is required, then you have a choice to make. Either go to Houston and do it or abandon the trip.

If an agency may represent you, I would do some research. Ask around, make calls. Do not email. You are looking for a place which has at least handled situations such as yours.

To be frank, I do find it odd that the Consulate would permit a third-party agency which has never met the OP to take the place of an in-person interview given the reason for the underling e-visa denial.

Hello, I want to thank you all for your responses and advice to my questions. I'm sorry for responding so much later. In case anyone may read this who may be in the same type of difficult situation, I want to let you know that I moved forward with the first agency from the list of agencies on the Houston, TX jurisdiction website and I received my visa! I have already been on my trip and back! The agency I worked with was called "Fast Passports and Visa's Inc" and they were indeed very quick with every email and question I sent. It did not require me to speak with anyone on the phone or talk with anyone at the jurisdiction. I needed my visa quick so I paid extra to express mail my documentation to them (passport, completed application, photo, arrest documentation). I started the process online on May 22nd and I received my visa in the mail by June 8th! It was not cheap but considering my situation, I was willing to pay the extra fees. I would recommend this company to anyone who may need help like this.

Thanks for checking back and posting this info which may be helpful to others in the future.