What's the busiest U.S. Consulate in the world? If you guessed in Mexico or China, you'd be wrong.
It's actually in Brazil, Sao Paulo to be exact. The consulate there is giving a record number of visas to Brazilians who want to visit the U.S. And that is giving a boost to the economies of cities like Miami.
On a recent day, Tiago Dalcien and his girlfriend stand outside the U.S. Consulate in Sao Paulo clutching their passports and other documents. He is a 30-year-old banker; his girlfriend is a doctor.
Like most of the 3,000 people a day who come to apply for a U.S. visa, it's their first time heading to the States, and they'll be hitting New York, and Orlando and Miami, Fla. They're going to go shopping, Dalcien says.
"It's so much cheaper than here. Brazil is incredibly expensive," he says.
Prices are so high because of taxes and import duties and protectionism. For instance, a seahorse glow toy that costs about $15 on Amazon in the U.S. costs $75 in Brazil. Futons start at $1,500. People have even been smuggling electronics from the U.S. to sell here.
Even considering the cost of the ticket — roughly $800 to $1,000 round-trip — Dalcien says, it's worth it to fly to shop in the U.S.
And more and more people are.
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