Expert: Ken Rapoza Cruz - 9/8/2008

Question
hi ken,

i recently visited brazil and fell in love with it. i have decided that i'll move to rio next year. i have been teaching english for the last nine years at important language schools in mexico city. i could also teach spanish since it is my mother tongue. moreover, i have a contact that could get me a teaching job in rio. however i would also like to study while im there. after a lot of research i still have a couple of questions:

1. my visa is valid for three months per year and can be extended an additional 3 months. in the scenario that i get there on july and extend it until december, could i just leave brazil and return on january for another three or six months?
2. could a language school be a sponsor for a working visa? what would they need to do?
3. provided that i have a working visa, could i enroll in a private school, or would i need to have a student visa for that?
4. can i have both, a working and a student visa?

Answer
1. Your visa is renewable for a max of six months. You cant stay longer. If you overstay your welcome, you will pay a fine and jeapordize your chances of getting back in to the country.

2. They could be. But my advice would be for you to work there first, then ask them if theyd sponsor you, as they dont know you.

3. Ooh, thats a good question.  They might overlook it and let you attend classes on the working visa. That question I dont have answer to. You can get that from your local consulate.

4. You can, but thats only if you already have one...you cant apply for both. Its one or the other. Now, once you get a student visa, you can then apply for a working visa if you have a sponsor.

All of these questions can be answered by your local consulates office.