Former president Jair Bolsonaro (PL) has requested a tourist visa in order to prolong his stay in the United States, where he has been since the end of last year, according to a law firm that operates in Washington. The former president's process was initiated by AG Immigration, which is headquartered in Washington and has offices in other parts of the country, including Orlando, where the former president is located.
The information was published by the British newspaper Financial Times and confirmed by Folha.
Bolsonaro traveled to the US on December 30, 2022, the day before leaving the Presidency, and, breaking a democratic tradition, he did not participate in the inauguration of his successor, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT). As he entered the United States still as president, he was in the country with a diplomatic visa and had 30 days to change that status from the moment he left the Presidency, according to the American government, a period that ended this Monday (30). If he didn't, he could even be expelled from American territory. Now, the change to a tourist visa still needs to be approved by the State Department and the USCIS (US Nationality and Immigration Service), which may or may not do so not only for technical reasons but also political pressure, according to an expert. on immigration consulted by Folha last week. After the attacks in Brasilia on January 8, left-wing politicians from the US have been calling for Bolsonaro to be deported from the country.
Translated by Cassy Dias