Originally published in O Globo · Blog do Lauro Jardim · By Pâmela Dias · July 31, 2026
The immigration filter imposed by Donald Trump has affected Brazilians seeking to enter the United States in different ways. An unprecedented survey by Jumpstart, based on official data from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and the Department of State, shows that visas intended for talent and specialists had approval rates above 90% in the first year of the Republican’s second term.
The O-1 visa, aimed at people with extraordinary recognition in their fields of work, had a 93.1% approval rate in 2025, with more than 34,000 petitions reviewed. The H-1B, used by professionals in specialty occupations, reached 97.8% approval in the first half of the year.
For those seeking to live permanently in the United States, however, the picture became more difficult. Approval of the EB-1A, intended for people with extraordinary ability, fell from 31.4% in the first quarter to 17.6% in the last quarter of 2025. For the EB-2 NIW, aimed at professionals whose work is considered to be in the national interest, the drop was from 14.7% to 4.9%.
Students felt the most immediate impact. In May 2025, the United States temporarily suspended new appointments for academic and exchange visas. The following month, F-1 visa issuances to Brazilians fell 52% year over year, before recovering.
In tourism, the change was smaller: although the number of B-1/B-2 visas issued fell at the beginning of the year, the annual approval rate remained above 85%.
Cover photo: The United States immigration agency has operated more visibly under Trump — Photo: AFP
Read the original article at: oglobo.globo.com — Blog do Lauro Jardim
