Brazil: Decree No. 12.657/2025 establishes the National Policy on Migration, Refuge and Statelessness and amends immigration legislation

In brief

Decree No. 12.657/2025, recently published in the Official Gazette on October 8, 2025, introduces the National Policy on Migration, Refuge, and Statelessness, and amends the previous Decree No. 9.199/2017, which regulated the Migration Law (13.445/17).

In more detail

The new decree aims to protect individuals in vulnerable situations and promote the participation of immigrants in the job market, thereby generating employment and income. It establishes the responsibilities of various governmental agencies involved in immigration policies, including the Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Development and Social Assistance, Family and Fight against Hunger, Ministry of Human Rights and Citizenship, Ministry of Labor and Employment, Ministry of Health, and Ministry of Education.

One of the significant highlights of this decree is the establishment of the National Migration, Refugee, and Statelessness Plan. This plan will serve as a tool for planning, managing, and monitoring the Migration Policy. It will define objectives, targets, and strategies for implementation by the Federal Government and support the actions of the States, the Federal District, and the Municipalities.

Additionally, the National Immigration Council will now play a vital role in coordinating and monitoring immigration policies across different federative levels. This change aims to ensure better inter-federative coordination and effective implementation of immigration policies.

Another noteworthy amendment directly benefits visitors. The new decree includes activities related to the provision of technical assistance or technology transfer services in the list of activities authorized for immigrants under this condition. These activities must result from a contract, cooperation agreement, or agreement signed between a foreign legal entity and a Brazilian legal entity, provided that the 90-day period is observed and no paid activity is carried out in the country.