# Law No. 3359 of December 22, 1957

> Brazilian law

**Wikidata**: [Q105649292](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q105649292)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/law-no-3359-of-december-22-1957

## Summary
**Law No. 3359 of December 22, 1957** (Portuguese: *Lei nº 3359, de 22 de dezembro de 1957*) is a Brazilian federal statute concerning the admission of foreigners and related requirements. Promulgated by President Juscelino Kubitschek, it was published on December 22, 1957, in Rio de Janeiro, which was then the federal capital of Brazil. The law is classified as a formal written statute that creates statutory law within the Brazilian legal system.

## Key Facts
- **Official Title:** Lei nº 3359, de 22 de dezembro de 1957
- **Legal Citation:** Lei nº 3359/1957
- **Type:** Statute (formal written document that creates law)
- **Country/Jurisdiction:** Brazil
- **Promulgation Date:** December 22, 1957
- **Approved By:** Presidency of the Federative Republic of Brazil
- **Promulgating Authority:** President Juscelino Kubitschek
- **Place of Publication:** Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- **Language:** Brazilian Portuguese
- **Main Subjects:** Foreigner (*Estrangeiro*), Recruitment/Admission (*Admissão*), Design Requirements (*Requisitos*)
- **Lexml Brazil ID:** urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1957-12-22;3359
- **Official URL:** https://www.planalto.gov.br/ccivil_03/leis/1950-1969/l3359.htm
- **Wikimedia Project:** Listed on WikiProject Brazilian Laws

## FAQs

**What is the purpose of Law No. 3359 of December 22, 1957?**
The law addresses matters related to foreigners (*estrangeiros*), their admission (*admissão*), and the requirements (*requisitos*) governing these processes. It establishes legal parameters within Brazilian jurisdiction for handling foreigner-related administrative procedures.

**Who signed Law No. 3359 into effect?**
The law was promulgated by the Presidency of the Federative Republic of Brazil under President Juscelino Kubitschek on December 22, 1957, through the formal act of promulgation.

**Where was Law No. 3359 published?**
The law was published in Rio de Janeiro, which served as the capital of Brazil at that time (Brasília would not become the capital until April 22, 1960).

**How can the full text of Law No. 3359 be accessed?**
The complete text is available through the official Brazilian government portal at the Planalto Presidential website (https://www.planalto.gov.br/ccivil_03/leis/1950-1969/l3359.htm) and is indexed under the Lexml Brazil system with identifier urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1957-12-22;3359.

**What type of legal instrument is Law No. 3359?**
It is classified as a statute—a formal written document that creates law. As a statutory instrument, it serves as a manifestation of statutory law and contains legal norms within the Brazilian federal legal framework.

## Why It Matters
Law No. 3359 of December 22, 1957, represents a significant piece of Brazilian legislation from the late 1950s that addresses the governance of foreigner admission and recruitment processes. Enacted during the presidency of Juscelino Kubitschek—a period marked by rapid industrialization and modernization efforts known as the "Target Plan" (*Plano de Metas*)—this law reflects Brazil's approach to managing foreign participation in the country during a transformative era.

The law matters within the Brazilian legal landscape as it establishes codified requirements and procedures related to foreigners, providing legal certainty and administrative guidance. As a federal statute, it holds authoritative weight within the hierarchy of Brazilian law and continues to be indexed and accessible through official government channels, indicating its ongoing relevance in legal research and historical analysis of Brazilian immigration and labor policy.

## Notable For
- **Kubitschek Era Legislation:** Promulgated during the administration of President Juscelino Kubitschek (1956–1961), a pivotal period of Brazilian economic development and modernization
- **Pre-Brasília Publication:** Published in Rio de Janeiro before the capital was transferred to Brasília on April 22, 1960
- **Foreigner Regulation:** Specifically addresses legal frameworks concerning foreigners, admission processes, and design requirements
- **Digital Preservation:** Fully digitized and available through multiple official Brazilian government platforms (Planalto and Lexml)
- **WikiProject Inclusion:** Recognized within WikiProject Brazilian Laws, indicating scholarly and encyclopedic interest
- **Structured Legal Identifier:** Assigned a persistent Lexml Brazil URN (urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1957-12-22;3359) for reliable citation and reference

## Body

### Legislative Classification and Nature

Law No. 3359 of December 22, 1957, is formally classified as a **statute** (*statute*), which constitutes a formal written document that creates law. Within legal taxonomy, a statute functions as:
- A manifestation of statutory law
- A document containing legal norms
- A subclass of written work, document, and rule
- An instrument caused by legislation and the legal act process

The law follows the standard Brazilian legislative naming convention, incorporating the sequential number (3359), the full date of enactment (December 22, 1957), and the legal instrument type (Lei, meaning "Law").

### Promulgation and Executive Authority

The statute was **approved by the Presidency of the Federative Republic of Brazil**, with **Juscelino Kubitschek** serving as the promulgating authority. The act of promulgation occurred on December 22, 1957, establishing the law's entry into the Brazilian legal corpus.

Juscelino Kubitschek served as President of Brazil from January 31, 1956, to January 31, 1961. His presidency is historically noted for the "50 years in 5" development slogan and major infrastructure projects, including the construction of Brasília. Law No. 3359 emerged during this period of intensive national development.

### Subject Matter Scope

The law identifies three primary subject areas:
1. **Foreigner (*Estrangeiro*):** The legal status, rights, and procedures pertaining to non-Brazilian nationals within Brazilian territory
2. **Recruitment/Admission (*Admissão*):** Processes governing the acceptance or hiring of individuals, likely in connection with foreign nationals
3. **Design Requirements (*Requisitos*):** Specified conditions or criteria that must be met under the law's provisions

These subject classifications indicate the law's function within Brazil's regulatory framework for managing foreign participation, whether in labor markets, institutional contexts, or administrative procedures.

### Jurisdiction and Geographic Context

**Applies to Jurisdiction:** Brazil

**Place of Publication:** Rio de Janeiro

The law was published in Rio de Janeiro, which served as the capital of Brazil from 1763 until the inauguration of Brasília on April 22, 1960. This geographic detail places the law within the historical context of pre-Brasília federal administration, when Rio de Janeiro housed the primary organs of the Brazilian federal government.

### Language and Official Text

**Language of Work or Name:** Brazilian Portuguese

The official text of Law No. 3359 is composed in Brazilian Portuguese, the official language of Brazil. This classification confirms the law's status as a domestic legal instrument intended for application within the Brazilian national context.

### Official Identification Systems

The law is indexed through multiple official identification and citation systems:

| System | Identifier |
|--------|------------|
| **Lexml Brazil ID** | urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1957-12-22;3359 |
| **Legal Citation** | Lei nº 3359/1957 |
| **Official URL** | https://www.planalto.gov.br/ccivil_03/leis/1950-1969/l3359.htm |

The Lexml (Legal XML) identifier provides a structured, persistent Uniform Resource Name (URN) following the pattern `urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1957-12-22;3359`, which breaks down as:
- `br` = Brazil (jurisdiction)
- `federal` = Federal level
- `lei` = Law (instrument type)
- `1957-12-22` = Date of enactment
- `3359` = Sequential law number

### Digital Availability

The law is **available at the official Planalto Presidential website**, hosted at:
`https://www.planalto.gov.br/ccivil_03/leis/1950-1969/l3359.htm`

This digital availability through the Civil House (*Casa Civil*) of the Presidency ensures public accessibility to the legal text, consistent with principles of open government and the public domain status of statutory instruments.

### Wikimedia and Scholarly Recognition

The law is listed on **WikiProject Brazilian Laws** (*WikiProject Leis Brasileiras*), indicating its inclusion in organized efforts to document and structure information about Brazilian legislation within Wikimedia projects. This classification supports the law's recognition in encyclopedic and educational contexts.

### Relationship to Statutory Law

As an instance of a statute, Law No. 3359 participates in the broader framework of statutory law. Statutes function as:
- Formal expressions of legislative will
- Components of the written legal record
- Instruments that create binding legal norms
- Documents that require promulgation to enter into force

The law's status as a statute means it shares characteristics with other formal legislative instruments, including acts, executive orders, and by-laws, while occupying the specific category of federal legislation enacted by the Brazilian National Congress and promulgated by the Executive.

### Historical and Administrative Context

The enactment of Law No. 3359 in 1957 situates it within:
- The **Fourth Brazilian Republic** (1946–1964), also known as the "Populist Republic"
- The **Kubitschek Administration** (1956–1961), characterized by developmentalist economic policies
- The **pre-Brasília period**, when federal administration centered in Rio de Janeiro

This historical positioning provides context for understanding the law's subject matter concerning foreigners and admission requirements, as Brazil during this era actively sought foreign investment, technical expertise, and labor to support industrialization efforts.

### References and Source Verification

The information pertaining to Law No. 3359 is supported by references to official Brazilian government sources:
- **Lexml Brazil** (accessed 2021-01-28): https://www.lexml.gov.br/urn/urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1957-12-22;3359
- **Presidency Legislative Portal** (accessed 2021-02-17): https://legislacao.presidencia.gov.br/atos?tipo=LEI&numero=3359&ano=1957&data=22/12/1957&ato=12fcXRU1kMNRVT2a4

## References

1. [Source](https://www.lexml.gov.br/urn/urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1957-12-22;3359)
2. [Source](https://legislacao.presidencia.gov.br/atos?tipo=LEI&numero=3359&ano=1957&data=22/12/1957&ato=12fcXRU1kMNRVT2a4)