Brazil to vote on eliminating tourist visas for USC's

[flipside 0]

http://www.brazzilmag.com/content/view/5676/53/

Brazil Congress Votes this Month on Eliminating Visas for US Tourists

Written by Roberta Lopes

Thursday, 02 March 2006

Brazil's Minister of Tourism, Walfrido dos Mares Guia, speaking at the São Paulo Industrial Federation (Federação das Indústrias do Estado de São Paulo) (Fiesp), said he was in favor of eliminating the visa requirement for US tourists.

Mares Guia said the visa and a mandatory payment of US$ 100 was holding back the development of tourism in Brazil.

The Minister suggested that the visa could be issued when the US tourist arrives in Brazil, rather than beforehand (which would reduce red tape), and that the US$ 100 tax could be eliminated.

Spokespersons at the ministry said the proposed changes had gotten a favorable reception in Congress where a bill dealing with the subject is expected to be voted on by the end of March.

However, the Ministry of Foreign Relations says it is against eliminating the visa requirement based on the principle of reciprocity. In South America, only Brazil and Paraguay require US tourists to have visas, and only Brazil charges the US$100 tax.

[Carol&Marc 0]

http://www.brazzilmag.com/content/view/5676/53/

Brazil Congress Votes this Month on Eliminating Visas for US Tourists

Written by Roberta Lopes

Thursday, 02 March 2006

Brazil's Minister of Tourism, Walfrido dos Mares Guia, speaking at the São Paulo Industrial Federation (Federação das Indústrias do Estado de São Paulo) (Fiesp), said he was in favor of eliminating the visa requirement for US tourists.

Mares Guia said the visa and a mandatory payment of US$ 100 was holding back the development of tourism in Brazil.

The Minister suggested that the visa could be issued when the US tourist arrives in Brazil, rather than beforehand (which would reduce red tape), and that the US$ 100 tax could be eliminated.

Spokespersons at the ministry said the proposed changes had gotten a favorable reception in Congress where a bill dealing with the subject is expected to be voted on by the end of March.

However, the Ministry of Foreign Relations says it is against eliminating the visa requirement based on the principle of reciprocity. In South America, only Brazil and Paraguay require US tourists to have visas, and only Brazil charges the US$100 tax.

I don't think dropping the fee will increase the US tourists in Brasil... And if it does, I agree with it, just because of the fact of US tourists will bring money to my country. But seems the Real is not helping to invite US tourists.

However, Brasil just ask visas from countries that asks visas for Brazilians... What about US NOT ask visas for Brazilians??? That would be great!!!

Carol

[flipside 0]

I disagree. I think dropping the fee/visa requirement will greatly increase toursim. It is a complete pain the @ss for a USC to get a visa for Brazil, and most just say "forget it" and spend their money somewhere else.

The US visa restriciton will never be lifted for Brazilians. Brazilians are second only to Mexicans in the amount of illegals here in the US.

Edited March 3, 2006 by flipside

[Ana Paula 2]

I dont know if they will do it someday!

Mas será que a gente pode falar em portugês?? só Brasil aqui... auahuaha

[flipside 0]

Pode falar..

Eu morava no brasil 4 anos.. Mas mesmo assim.. Eu falo melhor q eu teclo..

[Carol&Marc 0]

Claro que eles nao vao parar de pedir vistos pros brasileiros... Eu sei, tem muitos ilegais... E a gente acaba pagando por isso...

E por causa disso, eu acho que o Brasil deve continuar pedindo tambem... Really, nao acho q o turismo vai aumentar por causa disso, at all!!! O que ajudaria, seria SE o Real perdesse seu valor, o que nao estah acontecendo agora... E espero que o Real continue melhorando...(ganhando valor)

US100 nao eh nada para um americano, mesmo tendo q preencher os formularios... O Marc recebeu o visto dele em casa em 10 dias... Nao tem nem entrevista... Bem diferente da papelada interminavel que vc tem q apresentar e ainda sair da sua cidade pra atender a uma entrevista.

Acho que nao temos privilegio pro visto americano, e nao acho q americanos devam ter algum privilegio...

Uma mao lava a outra... Got it???

Carol

[Ana Paula 2]

Acho que nao temos privilegio pro visto americano, e nao acho q americanos devam ter algum privilegio...

Concordo!

Ainda mais pq eles tem é a idéia de que aqui é "A" festa.

Acho que deveria ser igual, mas fazer o que se as autoridades brasileiras são burras ?? ahhhaa

[Artegal 1]

When I go to Peru I am granted a tourist visa when I arrive: a week to 90 days depending on your stay. Also there is no fee--until you leave. Yeah it cost money to leave Peru $27.52 per head. But still those fees/tax are way less than you pay here in the USA even for domestic travel.

[LiszyandKenny 5]

I am sorry but I disagree... it is not a pain in the ### to get a visa to come here....it is really easy... you just send your passport with the fee and the flight itinerary to the Brazilian consulate and after one or 2 weeks.. there it is... knocking on your door... if you think it is a pain in the ### try to get a tourist visa here to go to the USA...you get to pay 100 dollars (remember it is not garanted to get a visa and yet you won't get your money back in case you don't), have to prove that you have enough ties to your country (aka you have to bring your entire life in documents to the consulate), wait 4 hours to get an interview... and most of the time you get A NO just because the CO was in a bad mood...

Talk about pain in the ###

and I agree... we should just go with the reciprocity... when the US drop it for us.. we do for them

[flipside 0]

Why is it a pain in the @ss for americans to get a visa for Brazil?

Because we don't need one for just about anywhere else. Just that fact that we need a visa makes it a pain in the ###.

Trust me, when I lived in Rio for 4 years it was like pulling teeth trying to get friends and family to come visit me, all because of the visa issue.

[LiszyandKenny 5]

Well.. the same goes for us... we don't need a visa for just about anywhere else also... I went to Europe a ton of times... with just my tickets and money to spend there.. no harrasment

Now... when I tried to go to the US... of course I got a BIG NO

Edited March 12, 2006 by Lisz

[Carol&Marc 0]

Because we don't need one for just about anywhere else. Just that fact that we need a visa makes it a pain in the ###.

And I think you better get used to it, because if the US consulates around the world keeps denying 50% or more of the visas, more and more countries will start to ask visas for americans...

Carol

Well.. the same goes for us... we don't need a visa for just about anywhere else also... I went to Europe a ton of times... with just my tickets and money to spend there.. no harrasment

Now... when I tried to go to the US... of course I got a BIG NO

Just on the point Lisz!!!

I'm sorry, flipside, but we are going to have the same situation ('pulling teeth') or probably worse when we go to get our families and friends here... Most of people are being denied to the B-2 visa and I wont probably see any of my relatives or friends coming to visit me one day... So, if we dont get visas, at least we MUST charge it for the americans... AND I cannot blame it... I understand the situation here... But, americans needs to understand our situation too...

Carol

Edited March 12, 2006 by Carol&Marc

[MrMrsKnight 0]

I disagree. I think dropping the fee/visa requirement will greatly increase toursim. It is a complete pain the @ss for a USC to get a visa for Brazil, and most just say "forget it" and spend their money somewhere else.

The US visa restriciton will never be lifted for Brazilians. Brazilians are second only to Mexicans in the amount of illegals here in the US.

It was not a pain for Dave to get his visa to come visit me. And that was not an issue to any of his friends either...

It only took 2 weeks for him to get his and he just had to send his passport in the mail and wait.

Yeah just the fact you need a visa to go anywhere is a pain but what about the amount of pain we're going through right now not being able to live with the person we love? I think that's a lot more impotant than just going somewhere to have fun, isn't it?

What about when my family wants to visit me in the US??

Reciprocity is the word!

[Priscila and Christopher 0]

Yes... I know there are tons of illegal brazilians in the USA, but there are a lot of people that have a good financial condition and show all evidence that they only want to visit their relatives up there, and they have their visa denied after a tiring waiting for an interview and money spent! Some of them live far from the Consulate and need to travel for hours to have their interview too! I've heard that it's even too difficult for moms to get their visas to stay for some days with their pregnant daughters in the USA!

I don't know if things will be fair someday, but charging this fee for the visa is the minnimum our country can do!

I would only be favour to eliminate the visa fee if our government did a good research on it and was sure that this procedure would be able to increase tourism in Brazil! But actually, I also don't think it would!

[flipside 0]

Well, unfortunatly for the Brazilian people, a few bad apples ruined it for the rest of you. It's a shame really.

My Finace's sisters 7 year old daughter was turned down for a tourist visa trying to go to Disney. The craziest part is both of her parents have 10 year tourist visas!