São Paulo – A trend observed prior to the pandemic, worker migration has resumed once shelter-in-place orders have been lifted. Brazil is no exception. The oil and gas industry remains the number one destination for onsite work in the country, according to the immigration services consulting firm Fragomen, Del Rey, Bernsen & Loewy, but other sectors are on the rise, Fragomen Immigrations director Diogo Kloper said. “During the pandemic, there was much uncertainty as to whether [worker migration] would continue to happen, but post-pandemic times have shown that it’s here to stay, and the biggest reason is competition for talent,” he argues.
“The news has recently come out that the number of Brazilians away from Brazil is at an all-time high, and this is bad news in a country that lacks skilled labor in so many different sectors. We are beginning to lose the fight for talent, and that’s our chance to develop,” says Kloper. Numbers made public in August 2023 by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs show that in 2022, 4.59 million Brazilians were living abroad, up 4% from 2021.
Conversely, foreign workers will also relocate to Brazil to work in the oil industry, in halal slaughter (which complies with the rules of Islam), and in industries such as renewable energy. According to data published in the Federal Gazette by the Ministry of Justice’s General Office of Foreign Labor (CGIL) and compiled by Fragomen, three out of the six businesses that saw the most foreign workers flock to Brazil in Q3 are in oil and gas, and the other three are in halal slaughter.
Energy industry professionals
Brazilian renewable energy is also starting to take in more foreign workers, says Kloper. The country is a global leader in the sector, since much of its energy mix stems from hydroelectricity, but the potential is in place for further development. “Brazil is one of the major renewable energy producers in the world, so workers are indeed moving in,” says Kloper.
He also notes that the number of professionals coming to Brazil from any given country correlates to the investments from said country into Brazil. Over 1,000 workers have moved in this year from China, which is Brazil’s biggest trade partner and an investor in projects in multiple states and municipalities. The only country to exceed that number is Haiti, whose citizens enjoy special conditions as residents in Brazil. Bangladesh ranks third and has seen halal industry professionals get work visas to Brazil since January of this year. Click here to find out more.
Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
