Hi everyone! 
My name is Dean, I'm 25, and I currently reside here in England.
I am wanting to move to Curitiba at the end of this year (2015) for a minimum of 12 months.
I have visited Curitiba several times on holiday, most recently in November (with my girlfriend who is originally from Curitiba) - and I'm due to go again in the beginning of April this year.
The problem I am facing is how to go about starting this process?
From the vast amounts of research I have been doing. I need to apply for a "Working Visa"?
So far it seems that the only likely way of me being able to get one successfully, is by guaranteeing myself a job prior to applying.
This is where the problem lies.
My Portuguese is very limited (beginner), - although I am currently taking classes - so English speaking jobs would be best suited at this stage.
I have a degree in computing, but currently work as a Car Sales Executive
I'm searching the internet for days and hours looking through pages and pages of recruitment sites, or advertisements in the hopes of finding a stable job.
So I would like to ask you guys is; advice on certain websites, or recruitment agencies that specialize in foreigners/English speaking individuals, looking for a job?
Also what necessary steps should I take, or go to, in order to apply for a working visa.
I have managed so far to:
- Secure a place of residency permanently from my girlfriends Uncle.
- Currently save £5,000 (GBP) in my bank, as a means to temporarily live off of, should the worst happen.
- Apply for two jobs - which have yet to come back to me.
I know that I am not the ideal candidate as my "Local Tongue" isn't great.
However any advice or help on this topic would be greatly appreciated.
Many thanks,
Dean. 
Newbie looking for advice on moving to Curitiba, Brazil
There are ONLY two VITEM Temporary Visas, that you may qualify for, which will allow you to remain in Brazil for any more than the 180 day per year maximum permitted on a VITUR Tourist Visa.
The first would be, as you guessed, the VITEM-V Work Visa which is usually granted for a period of two years (renewable). However it requires you to have a CLT Work Contract with a Brazilian company, which must be confirmed in writing. The downside to that is Brazilian law requires all employers to prove that they have exhausted all efforts to place a qualified Brazilian in any job vacancy before they can fill it with a foreign national. Also since English is not widely spoken even in the workplace your lack of Portuguese language skills is going to put you at a definite disadvantage in finding a job. While your computer degree may be of help somewhat, your present job experience in car sales isn't worth anything to you here unfortunately. Sadly, about the only work readily available to expats without reasonable fluency in Portuguese is teaching English, Spanish, French, etc., and those don't pay well or qualify for VITEM-V work visas.
VITEM-IV Student Visa, issued for qualifying post-secondary education courses and usually issued for each semester. You must continue to be enrolled in the program in order to renew the visa and your ability to work during studies is seriously restricted or non-existent depending on the course. Usually it is only for those courses that require some practical internship. There is also the requirement to prove that you have sufficient funds to support yourself for the duration of the validity of the visa, without working.
I'm afraid you're in for some tough uphill sledding my friend.
Cheers,
James Expat-blog Experts Team
Thank you for the swift reply James.
I understand that my inability to speak the local language prohibits me from a lot of options, as I thought it would.
Is it possible to get a travel visa, then apply for a work visa whilst on the travel visa? On the basis that I got offered a job during my time visiting in April, July & December this year.
While it is possible to APPLY for a VITEM-IV work visa through the Ministério de Trabalho e Empregos - MTE from within Brazil should you receive a concrete job offer; Brazilian bureaucracy is such that you are required to return to England to receive the visa at the Consulado-Geral do Brasil that has jurisdicition over the city where you reside there in order to receive it. It must be affixed to your passport and you can only collect it in person.
Brazil didn't invent BUREAUCRACY - They just refined it into a SCIENCE.
Cheers,
James Expat-blog Experts Team
Would a student visa not be best suited?
You should consider the option of requiring a permanence visa on the basis of the stable relationship with your brazilian girlfriend . Was recently introduced in the law of immigration and maybe James can give you some more information about this.
portal.mj.gov.br/data/Pages/MJA1BC41DEITEMIDB08CEBC98C4944DFB8CEAFCD2B18330APTBRIE.htm
It`s a little bit complicated but I think it's your best option if your girlfriend approves .
claudiu_claudiu wrote:You should consider the option of requiring a permanence visa on the basis of the stable relationship with your brazilian girlfriend . Was recently introduced in the law of immigration and maybe James can give you some more information about this.
Yes, one can apply for permanency in Brazil based on a stable relationship (união estável), but that relationship is defined as being living together, openly and publicly, as a family unit for a minimum period of one (1) year. It must be proven by producing a number of documents and it can apply to any couple regardless of gender of the partners.
Some of the documents that may be used as proof, for example, are:
A joint bank account naming both which has existed for at least one year;
A life insurance policy naming one as insured and other as beneficiary, at least one year old;
A property deed or rental contract showing both names, at least one year old;
Foreign income tax declarations showing the name of the other partner as common-law spouse;
Foreign civil union contract;
etc.
Cheers,
James Expat-blog Experts Team
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