São Paulo filing guide
Applying for an E-2 visa in São Paulo
The submission process, document format and interview steps for applications filed through the U.S. Consulate General São Paulo.
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Your São Paulo E-2 visa application at a glance
- Submission
- Online Portal
- Document format
- Standard
- File limit
- None published
- Page limit
- 80 pages
- TCN policy
- Limited TCN processingThe United States and Brazil have no treaty of commerce and navigation, so Brazilian nationality alone does not qualify. São Paulo accepts E-1 and E-2 applications from Brazilian citizens who also hold the citizenship of a treaty country.
- Interview location
- U.S. Consulate General São Paulo
Open the official application portal(opens the official site in a new tab)
Requirements reviewed September 2026 · Sources: U.S. Consulate General São Paulo(opens the official site in a new tab) and U.S. Department of State(opens the official site in a new tab)
Process
How to apply for an E-2 visa in São Paulo
Read this as a sequence, not a menu. Each step depends on the one before it.
- 01
Complete the DS-160
Fill in the DS-160 nonimmigrant visa application online, upload your photo, and print the confirmation page with the barcode. Every applicant needs their own DS-160, including dependants.
Consular Electronic Application Center(opens the official site in a new tab)
- 02
Pay the MRV fee
Pay the machine-readable visa fee through the visa services portal for this post. You cannot book an interview until the payment clears.
- 03
Schedule the interview
Book your appointment at U.S. Consulate General São Paulo through the same portal. E-visa cases are often handled by a dedicated unit, so appointment availability differs from other visa categories.
- 04
Upload the application package
Upload the complete package through the online portal before your interview date.
- 05
Attend the interview
Present your case at U.S. Consulate General São Paulo. Bring the originals behind your evidence and expect questions about the business, the money and how you will run it. Answers that contradict your file are what cause trouble.
Documents
E-2 visa document requirements in São Paulo
Upload your application through the online visa portal.
File requirements
- Format
- Single PDF
- Page limit
- 80 pages
- File size
- None published
Documents submitted separately
These sit outside the formatted package and do not count toward any limit.
- Tab 1: Visa Documentation
Important São Paulo instructions
- E-1 and E-2 visas may be applied for only at the U.S. Consulate General in São Paulo.
- Schedule an appointment at an Applicant Service Center to give biometrics.
- Number every page of the package to make it easier to reference.
- Applications that do not comply with the format, including the page count, may not be accepted by the E-visa unit.
Format
The São Paulo five-tab package
São Paulo is the only post in Brazil that processes E-2, and it takes the case in five numbered tabs with page numbers throughout. Tab 1 sits outside the page limit.
The 5 tabs
- Tab 1Visa Documentation
- Tab 2Summary Cover Letter
- Tab 3Company Detail
- Tab 4Supporting Documentation
- Tab 5Business Plan and Resume
What the format requires
- The package is capped at 80 pages, excluding Tab 1.
- Number every page, and keep the tabs in the order the post lists them.
- Tab 2 answers each statutory requirement in one paragraph, cross-referenced to the exhibit that proves it.
- A bank account by itself is not an original source of funding, and cash or other liquid, non-committed assets do not count as investment.
- Applications that do not comply with the format, including the page count, may not be accepted by the E-visa unit.
From Portunus
Turn your business case into a consular-ready plan
Assembling to U.S. Consulate General São Paulo's requirements is a formatting problem. Making the business case is the hard part — that is what we build.
- Business plan and five-year financials £99
- A FAM 402.9-aligned plan with projections, job-creation analysis and proportionality — the document the whole application rests on. Editable and regenerable as your plans change.
- Complete evidence-binder assembly £140
- Everything in the plan, plus your full binder assembled to the Standard — ordered, page-numbered and ready to file.
One-time payment, no subscription. Portunus is document-preparation software, not a law firm, and nothing here is legal advice.
Third-country nationals
Applying for an E-2 visa in São Paulo as a third-country national
São Paulo processes a limited number of third-country national cases, and may ask you to justify filing here rather than in your country of citizenship or residence.
Condition: The United States and Brazil have no treaty of commerce and navigation, so Brazilian nationality alone does not qualify. São Paulo accepts E-1 and E-2 applications from Brazilian citizens who also hold the citizenship of a treaty country.
A third-country national is someone who applies at a U.S. post outside their country of citizenship — for example, a treaty-country citizen who lives and works elsewhere. Consular practice now expects applicants to file where they hold citizenship or permanent residence, so filing elsewhere is the exception rather than the norm. Compare every post by how readily it takes outside applicants.
Brazil is not itself an E-2 treaty country. This post appears in the E-2 process specifically to serve applicants who hold treaty-country citizenship while living here.
We rate this post 1 out of 3 for third-country processing, meaning it takes a limited number, often with justification. That rating is our own reading of published guidance and applicant reports — it describes willingness to schedule an appointment, not your eligibility for approval, and it carries no official standing.
Policy at individual posts changes without much notice. Confirm the current position before you build a filing plan around it — U.S. Consulate General São Paulo(opens the official site in a new tab).
Questions
E-2 visa in São Paulo: common questions
How do I submit my E-2 visa application to U.S. Consulate General São Paulo?
U.S. Consulate General São Paulo takes the application through an online portal. Upload the complete package at https://www.ustraveldocs.com/br before your interview date.
What document format does U.S. Consulate General São Paulo require for E-2 visa applications?
U.S. Consulate General São Paulo uses a defined structure rather than a free-form bundle: Tab 1 (Visa Documentation), Tab 2 (Summary Cover Letter), Tab 3 (Company Detail), Tab 4 (Supporting Documentation), Tab 5 (Business Plan and Resume). The package is capped at 80 pages, excluding Tab 1.
What is the page limit for E-2 visa applications at U.S. Consulate General São Paulo?
The page limit is 80 pages. Some documents are exempt from the count, including Tab 1: Visa Documentation. Check the requirements section on this page for the full list before you assemble.
Can third-country nationals apply for an E-2 visa at U.S. Consulate General São Paulo?
Sometimes. U.S. Consulate General São Paulo processes a limited number of third-country national cases, and may ask you to justify why you are filing here rather than in your country of citizenship or residence. The United States and Brazil have no treaty of commerce and navigation, so Brazilian nationality alone does not qualify. São Paulo accepts E-1 and E-2 applications from Brazilian citizens who also hold the citizenship of a treaty country. Brazil is not itself an E-2 treaty country, so this post exists in the E-2 process specifically to serve applicants who hold treaty-country citizenship while living here. Acceptance and appointment availability change, so confirm the current position with the post before you build a filing plan around it.
How long does an E-2 visa take at U.S. Consulate General São Paulo?
We do not publish an estimate for U.S. Consulate General São Paulo, because a number invented for a page like this would be worse than none. travel.state.gov publishes current visa appointment wait times by post, and that is the figure to check. Total time is appointment availability plus any administrative processing after the interview. Book flights and shipping only once the visa is in your passport.
What should I bring to my E-2 visa interview at U.S. Consulate General São Paulo?
Bring your passport, the DS-160 confirmation page, the MRV fee receipt, your appointment confirmation, and the originals behind your evidence — financial statements, business registration, lease and purchase agreements. Bring a printed copy of the package you uploaded, so you can refer to it during the interview. Expect questions about how you found the business, where the money came from, and how you will run it.
Ready to prepare your São Paulo E-2 application?
Portunus builds the FAM 402.9-aligned business plan and five-year financials your case rests on, and can assemble the complete evidence binder formatted to the Standard — so what you submit matches what the post asks for.
Preparing an E-2 case for a client? See our tools for immigration attorneys. Portunus is document-preparation software, not a law firm, and provides no legal advice.