What Your Immigration Lawyer Should Handle: Checklist

The Short Answer

A full-service immigration lawyer in Brazil should handle everything from initial document analysis through CRNM card in hand. That includes: case assessment and strategy, document checklist creation, coordination of sworn translations and apostilles, application preparation and review, government submission, responding to requests for additional information, Federal Police accompaniment, CRNM registration, and representation if anything goes wrong. If your lawyer is only handling some of these, you should know what you’re responsible for — and what can go wrong in the gaps.

Why a Checklist Matters

“Full-service immigration means everything from initial document analysis through CRNM card in hand. If your lawyer’s scope has gaps, those gaps become your problem mid-process.” — Zachariah Zagol, OAB/SP 351.356

When I take on an immigration case, I want clients to know exactly what they’re getting — and what “full service” actually means. Too many foreigners hire a lawyer for “immigration help” without understanding the scope, then discover mid-process that translations, apostilles, or Federal Police appointments aren’t included.

This checklist serves two purposes: it tells you what to expect from a properly scoped immigration engagement, and it gives you a tool to compare what different lawyers are actually offering. If a lawyer quotes you R$4,000 and another quotes R$12,000, this checklist will show you why — the cheaper quote probably covers fewer items.

The Full-Service Immigration Checklist

Phase 1: Assessment and Strategy

• Initial case evaluation — Review of your personal situation, nationality, purpose, and immigration history
• Visa type recommendation — Which visa pathway is best for your specific goals (not just the obvious one)
• Eligibility assessment — Honest analysis of whether you qualify, including potential obstacles
• Timeline estimate — Realistic best-case and worst-case timelines with identified risk points
• Fee proposal with full cost breakdown — Legal fees plus estimated government costs, translations, and cartorio fees
• Alternative strategy if first choice isn’t viable — Plan B identification
• Tax implications briefing — How the visa type affects your tax obligations in Brazil and your home country

What this looks like: After a consultation, you should receive a written document outlining the recommended visa type, the process steps, estimated timeline, total cost breakdown, and any risks or complications specific to your situation.

What to ask: “Will I receive a written assessment before I commit to hiring you?” If they say the assessment is only verbal, that’s concerning — verbal assessments can’t be referenced later if there’s a dispute.

Phase 2: Document Gathering and Preparation

• Personalized document checklist — Specific to your visa type, nationality, and situation (not a generic list)
• Document review — Analysis of each document you provide to confirm it meets requirements
• Gap identification — Telling you what’s missing or insufficient before submission
• Apostille coordination — Guidance on which documents need apostilles and from which authorities (this varies by country)
• Sworn translation coordination — Arranging certified translations by a tradutor juramentado
• Cartorio authentication — Handling notarization and authentication of documents in Brazil
• Power of attorney preparation — If needed for the lawyer to act on your behalf
• Supplementary document preparation — Business plans (investor visa), employment contracts (work visa), relationship proof (family reunion), or other case-specific documents

The details that matter:

Apostilles must come from the issuing country. Your US birth certificate needs an apostille from the Secretary of State of the issuing state (not the federal government). Your UK police check needs an apostille from the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office. A full-service lawyer knows these specifics and guides you through them.

Sworn translations must be done by a tradutor público juramentado — an officially appointed translator registered with the Junta Comercial of a Brazilian state. Regular translations, even by certified translators in your home country, don’t count. A good immigration lawyer has relationships with reliable sworn translators and can coordinate the translation process for you.

Common costs in this phase:

• Sworn translations: R$100-300/page (10-25 pages typical)
• Apostilles: Varies by country ($20-100 per document)
• Cartorio authentication: R$5-30 per page/signature
• Power of attorney (procuracao publica): R$300-800

For the complete cost breakdown, see our fee guide.

Phase 3: Application Preparation and Filing

• Application form completion — All required forms filled out correctly
• Application package assembly — Documents organized in the order required by the relevant agency
• Pre-submission review — Final check of the complete package before filing
• Filing with the appropriate agency — Submission to MJSP, consulate, or other relevant body
• Filing receipt/protocol number — Providing you with proof of submission and tracking number
• Confirmation of receipt — Verifying the application was accepted (not just submitted)

Why the pre-submission review matters: Government agencies can reject applications for minor formatting issues, missing signatures, or documents in the wrong order. A single rejection can add 30-60 days to your timeline. An experienced lawyer catches these issues before they cause delays.

Where applications go (by visa type):

• Investor visa: CGIG (formerly CNIg) under the Ministry of Justice
• Work visa: Ministry of Labor → CGIG → Consulate
• Digital nomad visa: Brazilian consulate or in-country (varies)
• Family reunion: CGIG or consulate (depends on whether you’re already in Brazil)
• Naturalization: Federal Police → Ministry of Justice

Phase 4: Active Case Management

• Application tracking — Regular monitoring of your application status
• Proactive status updates — Informing you of progress without you having to ask
• Responding to exigencias — Handling government requests for additional information or documents (this is where many cases stall)
• Communication with government agencies — Professional correspondence with MJSP, Federal Police, or consulates on your behalf
• Timeline management — Alerting you if processing is taking longer than expected and explaining why
• Strategy adjustment — If circumstances change or regulations update during processing

Exigencias (additional requirements) are the #1 cause of immigration delays. The government reviews your application and may request additional documents, clarifications, or corrections. How quickly and accurately your lawyer responds directly determines how long your process takes.

What good case management looks like: You receive an email every 2-4 weeks (even if the update is “no change — still in processing”). When an exigencia comes in, your lawyer contacts you immediately, explains what’s needed, and provides a deadline for response.

Phase 5: Visa Issuance and Entry

• Consulate coordination (if applying from abroad) — Working with the Brazilian consulate on your visa stamp
• Entry guidance — What to bring, what to declare, how to handle immigration at the airport
• Entry deadline awareness — Ensuring you enter Brazil within the visa’s validity window
• Arrival documentation — Confirming you have everything needed for the next phase

Important detail: Most visas have a window within which you must enter Brazil (typically 90 days from issuance). Missing this window means starting over. Your lawyer should track this deadline and remind you.

Phase 6: Post-Arrival Registration

• Federal Police appointment scheduling — Booking your CRNM (Carteira de Registro Nacional Migratorio) appointment
• Federal Police accompaniment — Going with you to the appointment (or being available by phone)
• CRNM application filing — Submitting the registration documents
• CRNM tracking — Monitoring the card production and delivery
• CRNM receipt — Confirming you received your physical card
• CPF coordination — Ensuring your CPF is active and linked to your immigration record
• Post-registration guidance — What you can now do (open bank accounts, sign contracts, etc.)

Federal Police realities: Appointment availability varies wildly by city. In Sao Paulo, wait times for CRNM appointments can be 30-60 days. In smaller cities, it might be 1-2 weeks. Your lawyer should know the current situation in your city and plan accordingly.

CRNM processing: After the appointment, the physical card takes an additional 30-90 days to arrive. You’ll receive a protocol document at the appointment that serves as proof of registration while you wait.

Phase 7: Contingency Handling

• Denial response — If the application is denied, immediate analysis of the reason and options
• Administrative appeal filing — Preparing and submitting an appeal to the appropriate authority
• Judicial remedy (if needed) — Filing a mandado de seguranca or other court action
• Alternative strategy execution — If the appeal isn’t viable, pivoting to an alternative pathway
• Status maintenance — Ensuring your legal status in Brazil is maintained during any appeal

“The difference between a lawyer and a despachante becomes clear when something goes wrong. Only an OAB-registered lawyer can file appeals, represent you in proceedings, or take court action.” — Zachariah Zagol, OAB/SP 351.356

This is the phase that separates lawyers from despachantes. A despachante cannot file appeals, represent you in administrative proceedings, or take court action (per the Estatuto da Advocacia, Lei 8.906/1994). If your case reaches Phase 7, only an OAB-registered lawyer can help. See lawyer vs. immigration consultant.

Using This Checklist to Compare Lawyers

When you receive proposals from different lawyers, map their scope of work against this checklist:

A lawyer who includes Phases 1-6 at R$12,000 is a better value than one who includes only Phases 1-3 at R$8,000 — because you’ll need Phases 4-6 anyway, and hiring someone new mid-process costs more.

What “Not Included” Usually Means

When a lawyer’s scope excludes certain items, here’s what you’ll need to handle yourself:

• Apostilles: You arrange these from your home country (shipping documents back, waiting for processing, shipping them to Brazil for translation)
• Sworn translations: You find and coordinate with a tradutor juramentado (quality and turnaround time vary)
• Federal Police appointment: You navigate the scheduling system (in Portuguese), bring the right documents, and handle the appointment alone
• Exigencia responses: You interpret the government’s request (in Portuguese) and figure out what to provide

Can you do these yourself? Maybe. But each “excluded” item is a potential failure point. Missed apostille requirements, poor-quality translations, and wrong documents at Federal Police are common causes of delays and denials.

Frequently Asked Questions

My lawyer says “full service” but their contract doesn’t list all these phases. Is that a problem?

Yes. “Full service” is meaningless without specifics. Ask them to list exactly what’s included, referencing specific phases and tasks. If they’re vague, they’re either not offering full service or haven’t thought through their scope carefully — neither is reassuring. See 7 questions to ask before signing.

Should my lawyer physically accompany me to the Federal Police?

It’s not always necessary, but it’s valuable. Federal Police officers may ask questions or request documents you didn’t expect. Having your lawyer present (or on the phone) means immediate help if something comes up. At minimum, your lawyer should prep you thoroughly for the appointment and be reachable during it.

What if my lawyer handles everything except translations — is that okay?

Yes, as long as they coordinate the translation process even if they don’t handle it directly. They should provide the translation firm with specific instructions about what needs translating and review the translations for accuracy before submission. A lawyer who says “get your own translations” and doesn’t review them is leaving a gap.

How do I know if my lawyer is actually tracking my application?

Ask them to share the application protocol number and show you the tracking portal. For MJSP applications, there are online tracking systems. A lawyer who can’t or won’t show you the status of your own application is a red flag. See red flags when hiring.

Is it normal for the scope to change during the process?

Minor adjustments are normal — an unexpected exigencia, for example. Major scope changes (discovering you need a different visa type, needing to restructure a company) should be discussed and documented as amendments to your contract, with adjusted fees if applicable.

Can I hire one firm for Phases 1-3 and another for Phases 4-7?

You can, but I don’t recommend it. Transition costs are real — the new firm needs to get up to speed on your case, review everything already done, and build context. Continuity from assessment through completion is ideal.

The Bottom Line

Immigration is a process, not a single transaction. Every phase depends on the quality of the phase before it. A bad document review in Phase 2 causes exigencias in Phase 4. Missing apostilles in Phase 2 delay filing in Phase 3. A non-existent contingency plan means panic in Phase 7.

Use this checklist to ensure you’re getting truly full service — or at minimum, that you understand exactly where the gaps are so you can fill them yourself.

For how to evaluate immigration lawyers specifically, see how to choose an immigration lawyer. For the broader framework, see our complete guide to choosing a lawyer in Brazil. And if you want to see what full-service immigration looks like in practice, reach out for a consultation — we’ll walk through every phase for your specific case.