Historically, Brazil has been a destination country, influenced by successive waves of immigrants. Some early initiatives, such as Decree No. 80 (1824) and government programs that provided subsidies for immigrants’ travel costs, promoted the growth of European migrant communities. The abolition of slavery in 1888 led the economy to face a labor shortage, particularly felt in coffee plantations. The legal response was Decree No. 528 (1890), which regulated the entry of immigrants into Brazil, favoring Europeans. The main countries of origin for Brazil at the end of the 19th century were Portugal, Italy, Spain, and Germany.
In the early years of the 20th century, immigration continued to be intense, and Japanese migration began. However, the economic crisis of 1929 was strongly felt, particularly in the Brazilian coffee industry, and the consequent unemployment led to the introduction of stricter immigration restrictions. Decree No. 19,482 (1930) suspended all immigration for one year, and the Quota Law, established in the 1934 Constitution and reinforced in 1937, limited annual immigration from any individual country to 2% of the average level of the previous 50 years. The period from the end of World War II to the late 1970s saw significant economic growth. Immigration policies became more flexible again, but still favored Europeans. At the same time, under the government of Getúlio Vargas (1930-45 and 1951-54), migrants were encouraged to assimilate into Brazilian culture with the aim of building a single Brazilian identity.
Today, Brazil is an attractive destination for Latin Americans of various socioeconomic and educational profiles, particularly 
after the creation of Mercosur in 1991. Immigration in Brazil is currently regulated by Law No. 6,815 (1980) and Decree No. 86,715 (1981), which establish the National Immigration Council as the body responsible for implementing immigration policy and issuing visas and work permits. More recent measures have prioritized entry permits for those who have completed at least high school.
The last three decades have seen Brazil shift from a destination country to one of origin. Economic crises in the 1980s and 1990s were factors in this. The most recent census counted over 670,000 Brazilians living abroad, but official data from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs estimates the total at over 2 million in 2008. Their main destinations are the United States, Japan, and Paraguay, and to a lesser extent, the countries of the European Union.Stock of Brazilians in the USA
The United States is among Brazil’s favorite destinations, hosting between 800,000 and 1.3 million immigrants, according to data from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. They are primarily located on the East Coast of the country, have a high level of education compared to other immigrant communities, and actively participate in the U.S. economy, showing a low unemployment rate.
This data results from years of research by Brazilians Álvaro Lima and Allani Barbosa de Castro, culminating in the recently released book “Brazilians in the United States – Half a Century (re) Making America (1960 – 2010),” published by the Alexandre de Gusmão Foundation and available for free download at: http://funag.gov.br/index.php/en/ (in Portuguese).
In the book, Lima and Allani analyze the evolution of the Brazilian community in the United States since the 1960s, showing through graphs and statistics the changes in the profile of Brazilian immigrants, their achievements, and current challenges.
The authors highlight several interesting findings, including:
• 67% of Brazilians immigrated in search of a better life or a new beginning
• 37% of Brazilians in the United States are naturalized
• The unemployment rate of Brazilian immigrants is lower than that of other immigrants and natives
• 44% of Brazilian homeowners and 50% of renters have housing costs that exceed 30% of their income
• 41% of Brazilian immigrants in the United States are homeowners
• Brazilian immigrants in the United States sent $2.9 billion to Brazil in 2015
• 36% of Brazilian immigrant entrepreneurs reside in Florida
The research shows that Brazilians in the U.S. are part of a middle class that has gained social and economic power and is now seeking political integration. These immigrants are here to stay, building families, businesses, and entire communities.Source: With the OECD