5-year work visas for foreign athletes introduced

IMPACT – LOW

What is the change? Brazil has introduced a five-year work visa for foreign athletes who are sponsored by local sports entities.

What does the change mean? Foreign athletes hired by a Brazilian sports club may now apply for a five-year work visa, instead of the previous two-year visa.

• Implementation timeframe: Immediate.
• Visas/permits affected: Temporary work visas for foreign athletes.
• Who is affected: Foreign athletes coming to Brazil to work for local sports entities.
• Impact on processing times: The change does not affect processing times.

Background: The new visa was introduced under Normative Resolution #121, published Friday by the National Immigration Council.

Under previous immigration law, these visas were limited to two years, which therefore limited Brazilian sports entities in the length of contracts they could offer foreign athletes.

BAL Analysis: The availability of five-year visas will enable foreign athletes to negotiate longer work contracts with Brazilian sports clubs, who will be able to plan more effectively and build teams on par with international sports clubs around the world.

This alert has been provided by the BAL Global Practice group in Brazil. For additional information, please contact brazil@bal.com.

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