What documents do I need to move to United States as a Brazil citizen?

Typical pathway: Work Visa

Last verified: September 22, 2026

Brazilian passport valid at least 6 months beyond intended U.S. stay (before) — Source: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/employment/temporary-worker-visas.html
Machine-readable Brazilian passport (Polícia Federal). Per the U.S. Department of State, the passport must be valid for at least six months beyond your period of stay in the United States unless exempt by country-specific agreement; each person needs a separate visa application even if included in one passport.
Form DS-160 confirmation page with barcode (before) — Source: https://ais.usvisa-info.com/en-br/niv
Online Nonimmigrant Visa Application completed at ceac.state.gov; you must print the confirmation page and bring it to the interview. Data entered on the appointment site (usvisa-info.com for Brazil) must exactly match the DS-160 (passport number, date of birth, visa class, names).
Digital visa photograph meeting State Department specifications (before) — Source: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/employment/temporary-worker-visas.html
Photo uploaded during the DS-160. If the upload fails, you must bring one printed photo in the required format to the interview — this is separate from photocopies of your passport.
Form I-797 Notice of Action (approved H-1B petition) with petition receipt number (before) — Source: https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-resources/handbook-for-employers-m-274/70-evidence-of-employment-authorization-for-certain-categories/75-h-1b-specialty-occupations
Issued by USCIS to your U.S. employer after approval of Form I-129. You need the petition receipt number as it appears on the I-129/I-797 to schedule the interview and complete the DS-160; keep a copy of the I-129 available while filling in the form.
Printed résumé/CV in English (before) — Source: https://br.usembassy.gov/visas/
Brazil-specific requirement: the U.S. Mission in Brazil states that H-1B applicants must present a printed copy of their résumé in English at the visa interview.
Public social media accounts for consular vetting (before) — Source: https://br.usembassy.gov/visas/
Not a paper document but a mandatory pre-interview step: U.S. Mission Brazil instructs H-1B and H-4 applicants to set the privacy of all social media accounts to 'public'/'open' to facilitate identity and admissibility vetting. Usernames are declared on the DS-160.
Diplomas and credential evaluation for U.S. degree equivalency (before) — Source: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/employment/temporary-worker-visas.html
Brazilian diplomas/transcripts (diploma de graduação, histórico escolar), typically with an evaluation of U.S. equivalency, to prove the specialty-occupation degree requirement. Consular officers may request these; verify exact format with the consulate as requirements may vary by post.
Employer support/offer letter stating job title, duties and salary (before) — Source: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/employment/temporary-worker-visas.html
Letter from the petitioning U.S. employer confirming the position, worksite and annual wage, used at the interview to document the employer–employee relationship. Consular officers in Brazil frequently ask for this; additional documents may be requested to establish qualification.
Proof of MRV visa application fee payment (and reciprocity fee if applicable) (before) — Source: https://br.usembassy.gov/visas/
Receipt for the nonimmigrant visa application fee paid through the Brazil appointment service. Fees are non-refundable and non-transferable; payment methods and any reciprocity fee are specified by the Embassy/Consulate where you apply.
Proof of $100,000 H-1B payment or exception (petition-stage, employer-held) (before) — Source: https://www.uscis.gov/newsroom/alerts/h-1b-faq
Where applicable under the September 2025 entry-restriction proclamation, the employer must file pay.gov proof of payment or an approved exception. Status is unsettled: a federal court vacated the implementing guidance in June 2026 and appellate courts declined to revive collection, while a further proclamation extended the policy — verify current status on USCIS.gov before filing or travel.
Legal Rights and Protections pamphlet (Portuguese/English) (before) — Source: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/employment/temporary-worker-visas.html
The Department of State requires H-1B applicants to read the 'Rights and Protections for Temporary Workers' pamphlet, available in Brazilian Portuguese, before applying; a copy is normally given or acknowledged at the interview.
H-4 dependent DS-160s and civil documents for spouse/children (before) — Source: https://br.usembassy.gov/visas/
Each accompanying family member files a separate DS-160 and applies for an H-4 visa; bring the Brazilian marriage certificate (certidão de casamento) and children's birth certificates (certidão de nascimento) as proof of relationship. H-4 applicants for H-1B dependents are also subject to the social-media public-setting instruction.
H-1B visa foil in passport (post-interview collection) (during) — Source: https://br.usembassy.gov/official-visas/
If approved, the visa is printed in your passport and returned via the designated delivery method; a representative collecting it must present a copy of your photo ID and a signed authorization letter. Check the visa page for spelling errors before travelling.
Form I-94 Arrival/Departure Record (electronic printout) (during) — Source: https://i94.cbp.dhs.gov
Created by CBP at admission and retrieved/printed from i94.cbp.dhs.gov. It shows your H-1B class of admission and authorized stay and is the core evidence of lawful status for employment, SSN and licensing purposes.
Form I-9 Employment Eligibility Verification completed with employer (during) — Source: https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/completing-form-i-9/temporary-nonimmigrant-workers
Completed with your employer when you begin work. For H-1B workers the usual List A combination is the foreign (Brazilian) passport together with the Form I-94 endorsed for H-1B status with that employer; USCIS notes the Form I-797 itself is not a Section 2 document.
Form SS-5 application for a Social Security number and card (during) — Source: https://www.ssa.gov/ssnumber/ss5doc.htm
Filed in person at an SSA office; no online first-time application exists for work-visa holders. SSA requires original documents (no photocopies) — unexpired passport plus the I-94 or admission stamp showing a work-authorized class of admission; applying about 10 days after arrival lets DHS records update.
State driver's license or state ID application file (after) — Source: U.S. state Department of Motor Vehicles (state-specific)
Applied for at the state DMV using passport, visa, I-94, SSN card and proof of residential address; some states also require the I-797. Rules and minimum remaining status validity differ by state — verify with the specific state DMV, as requirements vary.
Payroll records: U.S. pay statements and IRS Forms W-2 / 1040 returns (after) — Source: https://www.irs.gov
Retain pay stubs for the current year and federal tax filings for every year of H-1B employment. These are used to prove maintenance of status for extensions, for H-4 EAD filings, and are commonly requested at visa renewal interviews in Brazil.
H-1B extension package: new Form I-129 and resulting I-797/I-94 (after) — Source: https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-resources/handbook-for-employers-m-274/70-evidence-of-employment-authorization-for-certain-categories/75-h-1b-specialty-occupations
USCIS approves H-1B for up to three years and can extend for up to three more. A timely-filed extension authorizes continued work for up to 240 days past I-94 expiry; the approval notice carries a new I-94 that the employer must give you and record in Form I-9 Supplement B.
Brazilian consular registration and CPF maintenance (after) — Source: Ministério das Relações Exteriores / Consulado-Geral do Brasil (Itamaraty)
Registration (matrícula consular) at the Brazilian Consulate covering your U.S. state, plus keeping your CPF and Brazilian passport current for renewals, notarial acts and civil-registry filings (e.g. registering a child born in the U.S.). Procedures differ by consular district.

Not legal advice. Based on cached research — verify with official sources before making decisions.

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