Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Ottawa
1. The “Permanente ” Inscription Appearing in the “Registro de Estrangeiros ” Seal
In correspondence with the Research Directorate, the attaché of the Brazilian Federal Police (Polícia Federal ) at the Embassy of Brazil in Washington stated that the “permanente ” [permanent] inscription in the “Registro de Estrangeiros ” [Registry of Foreigners] seal indicates that the passport holder has met the conditions for permanent residence in Brazil (Brazil 6 June 2019). Without providing further details, the same source noted that [translation] “small” variations between seals can be observed, as each Federal Police unit is responsible for its own seal (Brazil 6 June 2019). The same source explained that the “permanente ” inscription grants the right to enter Brazil even without a visa, but that to enter the country, foreign nationals must also present a document proving that they are registered in Brazil, i.e. an RNE [Registro Nacional de Estrangeiros , National Registry of Foreigners] or RNM [Registro Nacional Migratório , National Migration Registry] (Brazil 6 June 2019).
Information on the appearance of the “permanente ” inscription appearing in the “Registro de Estrangeiros ” seal in foreign passports in Brazil could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response.
2. The RNE and the RNM
According to an article written by Iure Pontes Vieira, a Brazilian lawyer specializing in corporate law (Pontes Vieira Advogados n.d.), and published on the website Bom Dia Brésil , a French-language magazine on Brazil (Bom Dia Brésil n.d.), a
[translation]
new law [Law No. 13,445, regulated by Decree No. 9,199 of 2017] has renamed the card for foreign residents. The former foreign national identity card [Cédula de Identidade de Estrangeiro , CIE], more commonly known as the National Registry of Foreigners [RNE][,] has been replaced by the National Migration Registry (RNM) card [Carteira de Registro Nacional Migratório , CRNM (Fragomen 22 Nov. 2017)].
…
For people with an RNE [as of December 2017], the new legislation changes nothing. (Pontes Vieira 15 Dec. 2017)
According to the Brazilian Federal Police attaché to the embassy in Washington, the CRNM is the physical identification document for foreign nationals registered in Brazil and is valid throughout the country, while the RNM is the alphanumeric number that appears on the CRNM (Brazil 18 June 2019). According to the same source, CIE cards remain valid until their expiry date (Brazil 18 June 2019). According to Ordinance No. 8,728 of 21 August 2018 (Portaria No 8.728, de 21 de agosto de 2018 ), the cards are valid until the date indicated, for a maximum of nine years (Brazil 2018, Art. 2).
For further information on the CIE, see Response to Information Request ZZZ106003 of October 2017.
Articles 73 and 74 of Decree No. 9,199 of 2017, regarding the CRNM, provide the following:
[translation]
Art. 73. The national migration registry card includes the immigrant’s period of residence in accordance with the provisions set out in the residence permit obtained.
- For the purposes of a temporary visa, the immigrant's period of residence is calculated from the date of the immigrant's first entry into Brazil after being granted the visa.
- For an immigrant who holds a Brazilian residence permit, the date from which the period of residence is calculated is the date of the immigrant's application for registration.
- If an immigrant who has obtained a residence permit in Brazil does not apply for registration within the time limits provided for in paragraph IV of article 307, the residence period starts on the expiration of a period of thirty (30) days following the date on which the decision to grant the residence permit was issued.
- In the case of temporary residence, the expiration date of the national migration registry card coincides with the expiration date of the residence permit.
Art. 74. In the case of indefinite residence, the national migration registry card is valid for nine years as of the registration date.
Sole paragraph. In the situation set out in the first paragraph, the national migration registry card is valid for an indefinite period if the cardholder:
- has reached the age of 60 by the document’s expiry date; or
- is a person with a disability. (Brazil 2017)
According to Ordinance No. 8,728 of 21 August 2018, issuance of the provisional CRNM document was to begin on 1 October 2018 (Brazil 2018, Art. 2).
This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim for refugee protection. Please find below the list of sources consulted in researching this Information Request.
References
Bom Dia Brésil . N.d. “Qui sommes-nous? ” [Accessed 25 June 2019]
Brazil. 18 June 2019. Correspondence from the Federal Police attaché to the Embassy of Brazil in Washington to the Research Directorate.
Brazil. 6 June 2019. Correspondence from the Federal Police attaché to the Embassy of Brazil in Washington to the Research Directorate.
Brazil. 2018. Portaria N° 8.728, de 21 de agosto de 2018 . [Accessed 12 June 2019]
Brazil. 2017. Decreto Nº 9.199, 20 de novembro de 2017 . Excerpt translated by the Translation Bureau, Public Services and Procurement Canada. [Accessed 5 June 2018]
Fragomen. 22 November 2017. “New Immigration Law Takes Effect .” [Accessed 20 June 2019]
Pontes Vieira Advogados . N.d. “Avocats .” [Accessed 25 June 2019]
Pontes Vieira, Iure. 15 December 2017. “Nouvelle loi sur l’immigration au Brésil : ce qu’il faut retenir .” Bom Dia Brésil . [Accessed 20 June 2019]
Additional Sources Consulted
Oral sources:Brazil – embassy in Ottawa, Conselho Nacional de Imigração , consulate in Montreal, consulate in Toronto, Polícia Federal .
Internet sites, including:Brazil – Imprensa Nacional, Ministério da Justiça e Segurança Pública, Polícia Federal ; ecoi.net; FA Notícias; FK Consultoria; Legaliza Brasil; Rede Jubileu Sul Brasil; Serviço Jesuíta a Migrantes e Refugiados ; UN – Refworld; Visto Brasil .
