Expert: Sandra - 9/7/2010

Question
QUESTION: Dear , please i am a Nigerian residing here in Nigeria but i,m planning to come over to Brazil for my masters..but i don,t speak Portuguese...But i,m planning when i get there i,ll enroll and learn Portuguese before my school resumes.So i want to know since i don,t speak Portuguese is it possible for me to get a Student Visa to Brazil?

ANSWER: You can probably get a student visa by arranging and paying for an accredited course in Portuguese for foreigners at one of the universities. This requires a lot of paperwork and effort. You can do the visa paperwork at the Brazilian Consulate which has jurisdiction over your residence. I suspect it would take quite a while to cme up to the level one would need to do university level work. In order to attend a Brazilian university in a Master's program, you would have to have passed a Portuguese proficiency test, pass a vestibular, have your undergraduate degree evaluated, and obtain more paperwork from the university, all complex tasks. This would also probably mean leaving the country to do the paperwork outside. Unfortunately, your situation speaks to me of a scam to get into Brazil to work and might appear the same to Brazilian Consulate staff as well. Best of luck.

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QUESTION: Thanks for your previous answer.....So you mean is better i apply for a Portuguese language course in one of the universities?

Answer
How do you expect to do master's degree level work in a language you don't even seem to speak/read/write? That is not logical, practical or likely to get you a visa. (The Brazilian Embassy/Consulate staff are not fools, and have a good understanding of the scams used to enter the country illegally to work. If I am not totally convinced that you are on the up-and-up, how do you expect to convince these very sceptical, suspicious government employees?) You may be able to pay for a course in Portuguese for foreigners, as I said, which may give you a legitimate sounding basis for a temporary visa (which expires when your coursework finishes.) You will probably have to show the paper work from the university (including receipt for tuition paid) when you submit your visa application. Try PUC in Rio, which has such a course. Note that the cost of living is also going to be quite expensive in Brazil, and that you might have to demonstrate sufficient funds to cover that as well.