Brazil Congress May Eliminate Need for Visas?

[aneka]

There is a chance that US citizens and some others will not need visas for Brazil too much longer.

 

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/printer2/index.asp?ploc=t&refer=http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/1102AP_Brazil_US_Visas.html

 

"BRASILIA, Brazil -- A Brazilian congressional committee on Thursday approved a bill that aims to boost tourism by eliminating visa requirements for visitors from the United States and four other wealthy countries.

If passed by the full 513-member Chamber of Deputies, the law would ease the way for more tourists from the U.S., Canada, New Zealand, Japan and Australia, "because their purchasing power is high and because they spend money on tourism," said Congressman Carlos Eduardo Cadoca, the bill's author."

 

There is a thread discussing this further on Flyer Talk at

 

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=694573

 

There is a comment that this has been in the works for a couple of years, but the fact that it has passed committee means that it may have made some progress.

[Wotan758]

There is a chance that US citizens and some others will not need visas for Brazil too much longer.

 

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/printer2/index.asp?ploc=t&refer=http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/1102AP_Brazil_US_Visas.html

 

"BRASILIA, Brazil -- A Brazilian congressional committee on Thursday approved a bill that aims to boost tourism by eliminating visa requirements for visitors from the United States and four other wealthy countries.

If passed by the full 513-member Chamber of Deputies, the law would ease the way for more tourists from the U.S., Canada, New Zealand, Japan and Australia, "because their purchasing power is high and because they spend money on tourism," said Congressman Carlos Eduardo Cadoca, the bill's author."

 

There is a thread discussing this further on Flyer Talk at

 

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=694573

 

There is a comment that this has been in the works for a couple of years, but the fact that it has passed committee means that it may have made some progress.

 

The bill is absolutely illegal! Visas are regulated by treaties between countries. FYI a brasilian tourist to get a US visa takes approximatelly 90 days. US will not change its procedures too soon!

 

FYI tourists with EC passaport and Latin American passaports do not need visa to enter in Brazil.

[dabear]

I do not think visas are by treaty altho accomodations may be made by treaty. A visa is a country's soverign choice of admission policy.

[SelectSys]

dabear - you are absolutely correct. Every country sets its own policy with respect to visas - no treaty required. Visa requirements for the US citizens are mostly a matter of "tit-for-tat" in that some countries will impose the same regulations on their citizens that the US imposes on theirs.

 

After the US started capturing finger prints of non-citizens, Brazil retaliated by taking finger prints of US citizens at its entries. This requirement has since been dropped or is no longer enforced.

 

One of the most amazing things to me with respect to soverignity is the clearing of US immigration inside Canadian airports prior to departure. It's like a portion of Canadian airports are US territory.

[bobnsandi]

One of the most amazing things to me with respect to soverignity is the clearing of US immigration inside Canadian airports prior to departure. It's like a portion of Canadian airports are US territory.

 

To ease the process of entry back to the US, there has been an arrangement made with some Canadian airports, to have US-only zones for passengers taking flights to the US. My only experience with this has been Vancouver, and it is great! The US customs/immigration people have their own entries and work areas. Once you pass through, you are "in bond" and your only travel option then is to get on the airplane to your US destination.

 

This scheme removes the necessity of having customs/immigration at many US airports.

 

For us cruise passengers, the scheme is also useful. Arrivals at Vancouver can set up with the cruise line to be processed by US c/i at the cruise port. They then travel "in bond" on a bus to Seattle. There is no getting on or off the bus, until it is in US territory.

 

Not an expert, but these are our experiences with the system, and we think it works very well.

[SelectSys]

To ease the process of entry back to the US, there has been an arrangement made with some Canadian airports, to have US-only zones for passengers taking flights to the US. My only experience with this has been Vancouver, and it is great! The US customs/immigration people have their own entries and work areas. Once you pass through, you are "in bond" and your only travel option then is to get on the airplane to your US destination.

 

This scheme removes the necessity of having customs/immigration at many US airports.

 

For us cruise passengers, the scheme is also useful. Arrivals at Vancouver can set up with the cruise line to be processed by US c/i at the cruise port. They then travel "in bond" on a bus to Seattle. There is no getting on or off the bus, until it is in US territory.

 

Not an expert, but these are our experiences with the system, and we think it works very well.

 

I know why the Canadian government views it in their self interest to permit these "US areas" to exist at their major airports. I know they also don't really cede control to the US in these zones, it's just that I don't know of a similar situation anywhere else in the world.