Immigrant Visa Interview at the US Consulate in Rio de Janeiro: What to Expect

Every Brazilian applying for an EB-2 or EB-3 green card through consular processing will have their immigrant visa interview at the US Consulate General in Rio de Janeiro — the only location in Brazil that conducts immigrant visa interviews. In 2026, the consulate continues to schedule and conduct these interviews, but the January 21, 2026 immigrant visa issuance pause has fundamentally changed what happens at the end of the interview. Here is what to expect and how to prepare.

The Rio de Janeiro Consulate Is the Sole Immigrant Visa Post for Brazil

All five US diplomatic posts in Brazil — Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, Brasília, Recife, and Porto Alegre — handle non-immigrant visas (tourist, student, business). But immigrant visa interviews, including EB-2 and EB-3 employment-based interviews, are conducted exclusively at the Consulate General in Rio de Janeiro on Avenida Presidente Wilson.

If you live in São Paulo, Brasília, or anywhere else in Brazil, you travel to Rio for the interview. There are no exceptions, no transfer requests, and no alternatives for immigrant visa interviews in Brazil.

What the 2026 Consular Pause Means for Your Interview

On January 14, 2026, the US Department of State announced an indefinite pause in immigrant visa issuance for nationals of 75 countries, including Brazil. The pause took effect on January 21, 2026.

The key distinction: the pause affects visa issuance — the physical printing and delivery of the immigrant visa stamp in your passport. It does not stop the consulate from conducting interviews or processing cases.

What this means in practice: Your case can still progress through NVC. You can still be scheduled for and attend your interview at the Rio consulate. The officer will still review your documents and interview you. But at the end of the interview, if there are no grounds of inadmissibility other than the public charge review that triggered the pause, the officer will issue a 221(g) administrative processing hold under INA Section 221(g). Your CEAC tracker will show "Refused," which is a placeholder status, not a final denial.

You will receive a letter or verbal notification explaining that your case is in administrative processing pending review of vetting procedures. The State Department has not announced an end date for the pause.

The practical implication: Getting fully documentarily qualified at NVC and completing your interview now is not wasted effort. It positions you at the front of the queue when the pause lifts. Cases that are interview-complete with a 221(g) hold are processed faster than cases still in NVC when the pause ends.

What Happens at the Interview: Step by Step

Arrival and security. Arrive at the consulate at least 30 minutes before your scheduled appointment. You will go through security screening — no phones, no large bags. You are allowed to bring a folder of documents. Your appointment letter and passport are checked at the entrance.

Waiting area. You will wait in a designated area. The wait can be 30 minutes to 2 hours depending on how many cases are scheduled. There is no way to predict the exact timing.

Document submission at the window. Before sitting down with a consular officer, you typically submit your documents at a window for initial review. Have everything organized in the order listed in the NVC appointment package.

The interview. You sit (or stand) at a glass partition and speak with a consular officer. The interview typically lasts 10 to 20 minutes for standard EB-2/EB-3 cases. The officer will:

• Verify your identity and the accuracy of your DS-260
• Ask about your employment and the position you are being sponsored for (or your NIW proposed endeavor)
• Confirm your Brazilian civil documents — birth certificate, marriage certificate if applicable, police certificates
• Ask about travel history, any criminal history, and background matters
• Review your I-864 Affidavit of Support (or for self-petitioners, your financial documents)

The interview is conducted in English. If you need translation, you can bring an interpreter, but consular officers may also speak Portuguese. You are not required to demonstrate English fluency for EB-2 or EB-3 — but if you cannot communicate in English at all and your proposed role in the US requires it, this can be a point of concern in an NIW case.

Outcome. The officer will tell you at the end of the interview whether your visa is approved, refused, or placed in administrative processing. Under the current 2026 pause, administrative processing under 221(g) is the standard outcome for Brazilian immigrant visa cases.

Documents to Bring to the Interview

Bring originals of every document in your NVC submission plus the originals of your passport and any new documents issued since you submitted to NVC. Organize them in a clear folder:

• Appointment letter from NVC
• Current passport (valid for at least 6 months beyond intended entry)
• All previous passports
• I-140 approval notice
• NVC fee payment receipts
• DS-260 confirmation barcode page
• Certidão de Inteiro Teor (birth certificate) — original, apostilled, with sworn translation
• Marriage certificate — original, apostilled, with sworn translation (if applicable)
• Certidão de Antecedentes Criminais (Polícia Federal) — apostilled, within 90-day validity, with sworn translation
• State SSP police certificates — apostilled, within 90-day validity, for each state where you lived 6+ months in the last 5 years
• Military record or exemption certificate if applicable — with sworn translation
• Medical exam sealed envelope from the panel physician
• I-864 Affidavit of Support with sponsor's tax documents (or financial self-support documents for NIW applicants)
• Employer letter for EB-3 cases, or evidence of proposed endeavor for NIW cases
• NACES credential evaluation report

Do not open the sealed medical exam envelope. Bringing it unsealed is a common mistake that forces the officer to request a new exam.

The Medical Exam Before the Interview

You must complete a medical examination with one of four approved panel physicians in Brazil before your interview. The four locations are Belo Horizonte, Brasília, Rio de Janeiro, and São Paulo. The exam must be completed within the validity period — typically 6 months, though it expires faster if you have certain conditions like tuberculosis.

The exam includes a physical examination, review of vaccination records, chest X-ray, and blood tests. You must demonstrate immunity to a standard list of vaccines: Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, MMR, Polio (IPV — not just oral OPV), Tdap, Varicella, and others.

Polio vaccine update (2024-2025): A change in requirements now mandates that all applicants have received at least one dose of the Inactivated Poliovirus Vaccine (IPV) as a booster. Many Brazilians received only the oral OPV vaccine in childhood. If your Caderneta de Vacinação does not show an IPV dose, the panel physician will administer one as part of the exam. Account for this in your scheduling.

Book the medical exam appointment weeks in advance — panel physicians in Rio and São Paulo are frequently fully booked 3 to 5 weeks out during high-demand periods.

Adjustment of Status as the Alternative

If you are currently in the US on H-1B, L-1, J-1, or another valid non-immigrant status, filing for Adjustment of Status (I-485) domestically bypasses the Rio de Janeiro consulate entirely. USCIS processes I-485 applications at domestic service centers, and the 2026 consular pause has no effect on domestic adjustment.

For Brazilians in the US with current priority dates, concurrent filing of the I-140 and I-485 is the fastest and most secure path in the current environment. An Employment Authorization Document (EAD) typically arrives within 6 to 9 months of filing, providing work authorization independent of visa status while the green card is pending.

For a complete preparation guide covering the Rio de Janeiro interview process, document checklist, medical exam scheduling, and post-interview administrative processing timeline, see the Brazil to US EB-2/EB-3 Green Card Guide.

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