Brazil: US Consulates Cap Visa Rescheduling at Three Attempts
Updated: 38 minutes ago
BRASÍLIA, October 17, 2026 — Brazilian applicants for US B1/B2 visitor visas now face a hard limit on how many times they can move an interview appointment, with a third reschedule triggering automatic cancellation and a fresh US$185 fee.
The restriction applies at the US consulates in Brasília, Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, Recife and Porto Alegre. It took effect on 29 September 2026 but is only now being enforced at scale as posts work through a backlog of interview slots from 2025 and 2026.
How the Cap Works
Applicants may cancel or reschedule an appointment three times per application.
On the third move, the system cancels the request outright and places a block on the passport number used. The applicant cannot simply rebook. A new DS-160 form must be filed, and the MRV fee — US$185, non-refundable — must be paid again.
The practical effect is that an applicant who has already rescheduled twice faces a choice: attend the third appointment or forfeit the fee.
Consular officials have stated that true emergencies, such as medical travel, can still be managed using the expedited request feature of the online system. However, if the three-attempt limit has been exceeded, the fee will not be waived.
Why Consulates Are Doing This
The stated target is speculative booking by intermediaries.
During the pandemic, visa agencies secured large volumes of appointment slots without having confirmed applicants for each one. Those placeholders were then resold. The result was a queue clogged with bookings that would never convert into interviews, while genuine applicants waited months for a date.
Capping reschedules attacks that model directly. An agency holding a slot it cannot fill now has three moves before the booking collapses and the passport number is flagged.
There is a secondary effect the consulates have not emphasised: the rule also constrains ordinary applicants who book early and then adjust plans. That group now carries more of the risk.
The Corporate Exposure
For companies that move staff between Brazil and the United States, the change introduces a cost that did not previously exist.
A business traveller who books an interview date months ahead and then shifts it as project schedules change can burn through three reschedules without anyone noticing. At that point, the company pays the MRV fee twice — and loses the original slot.
Three practices reduce the exposure:
Book after flights, not before. Travel management companies are advising clients to lock interview dates only once travel is confirmed. An appointment booked speculatively is an appointment likely to move.
Keep documents ready at the point of booking. Applications that require last-minute uploads are more likely to trigger cancellations and reschedules.
Track reschedule counts per employee. HR teams with high volumes of Brazilian visa applicants should record how many times each appointment has moved. A "buffer week" built into travel timelines absorbs the uncertainty.
Why the Timing Matters
The restriction lands during a recovery in Brazilian visitor numbers.
US arrivals from Brazil rose 34% year on year in the first half of 2026, driven largely by incentive travel and conferences. That rebound depends on frictionless visa processing. A rule that lengthens the path to an interview — or forces applicants to restart entirely — works against it.
Some multinationals are already looking at workarounds:
Dual nationals holding Chilean or Spanish passports may qualify for ESTA rather than a B1/B2 visa
Meetings that would have been held in the US can shift to Mexico City or Bogotá, where Brazilian nationals do not require a visa
Neither option serves as a universal solution. ESTA is accessible solely to citizens of Visa Waiver Program countries. Moving meetings alters the essence of the trip, not merely its location.
Quick Reference Summary
Item | Detail |
Affected Consulates | Brasília, Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, Recife, Porto Alegre |
Reschedule Limit | Three per application |
Consequence of Third Reschedule | Automatic cancellation; passport number blocked |
To Reapply | New DS-160 plus US$185 MRV fee |
Effective | 29 September 2026, now being fully enforced |
Stated Rationale | Eliminate speculative bookings held by intermediaries |
Emergency Requests | Possible via online system; fee not waived |
Context | Brazilian visitor arrivals to US up 34% in H1 2026 |
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