Former Brazilian lawmaker Eduardo Bolsonaro, who is the son of former President Jair Bolsonaro and an ally of US President Donald Trump, announced that he has received permanent residency status in the United States, often called a “green card”, Reuters reported, BTA reported.
Bolsonaro's younger son, who has lived in the United States since early 2025 and was recently sentenced to prison in his home country, said that he was granted the right to reside under the EB-1A category for individuals with exceptional skills in fields such as science, the arts, business and sports. He said the trial began about a year ago.
Bolsonaro has been developing ties with US conservatives and the Trump administration for some time, Reuters notes.
He is accused of lobbying against the trial of his father in Brazil over the former president's attempt to overturn the results of the 2022 election, in which the elder Bolsonaro was defeated by President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
The former president was sentenced to more than 27 years in prison for plotting a military coup.
Eduardo Bolsonaro said he did this to protect himself from unfair prosecution by Brazil's Supreme Court, not to help his father. In June, a court sentenced Eduardo Bolsonaro to four years and two months in prison after finding him guilty of trying to persuade the United States to interfere in the trial of his father.
Political opponents of Eduardo and his older brother, Senator Flavio Bolsonaro, who is running for president in Brazil's upcoming elections, accuse the brothers of working against Brazil's interests in the United States, which critics say may have led to the imposition of U.S. tariffs on certain Brazilian goods.
A 25% tariff on some Brazilian goods is set to take effect tomorrow. The brothers deny asking the Trump administration to impose tariffs on Brazilian exports.
Eduardo Bolsonaro, who already had permission to work in the United States before receiving his green card, said he would only return to Brazil if he was granted amnesty. “At least here I am free“, he said.