hey,
i have some questions about how student visas work:
1. is there a criteria for how long your student visa can be granted?
2. i notice that several portuguese schools in brazil claim that you have to be enrolled in classes for 15 hours a week to get the student visa; however, most of the portuguese schools are 3 or 4 hours a week and claim that you can get a student visa through enrolling in their classes. so what is the truth? do you really have to be enrolled in classes for 15 hours a week to get a student visa?
3. PUCSP in Sao Paulo has 4 different courses in 2019:
an intensive module from January 14 - February 1
an extensive module from March 12 - June 6
an intensive module from July 10- July 26
an extensive module from August 13 - November 7
i talked to someone who works there. She says that if not enough people sign up, a module/course will be cancelled. However, she said that the extensive modules usually take place. if you only sign up for one extensive module, how likely is it that you would be able to get a student visa, and how long do you think the student visa would be?
4. if i signed up for both extensive modules at PUCSP (march 12- June 6 and August 13 - November 7), would you be able to get a student visa, and how long would the student visa be for?
5. UFMG has 2 semesters of classes (the first semester is from march - june and the second semester is august - november). if i signed up for both semesters, i don't like how there is a 4 month lag between classes. i don't know if i would have to leave brazil between november and march every year. if you continuously sign up for both semesters every year, how long would you be given a student visa for?
6. my understanding is that you get a CPF number when you become a student in brazil. can you get a cell phone and open a bank account with a CPF number?
7. in general, if i become a student, do you think it's better to live in student housing or to find an apartment?
8. in terms of learning portuguese, do you think it's better to live in student housing or to find an apartment? (if i live with other students, we'll probably be speaking a lot of english)
9. do people who get the student visa to stay in brazil surprise the teachers by just repeating the same classes over and over to stay in brazil?
thanks