Getting a Brazilian visa without both parent's signatures?

Question

I am going on a foreign exchange to Brazil soon, so I will need a visa. Since I'm under 18 years old, I need both parents to sign. The problem with this is that I have never seen my dad and I really don't want to bring him into this process now. My mother and father never got legally married, so there is no paperwork of a divorce. They also have joint custody, but as I said before, he has never seen me.

Does anyone have any ideas as what "evidence" I could use to show that he has never been around or any way that I could get a brazilian visa?

Any help would be appreciated!

Answer 1

If his name is on your birth certificate you'll probably need his signature. My suggestion is that you simply sign his name. If he's not around who's to know. Have fun in Brazil, I'd love to go there someday.

Answer 2

The reason the Brazilian law requires this is so that divorced parents don't take their kids away form the other parent without permission.  You can get a US judge to declare that your father is not paying child support and that may flip the balance at the consulate, but even that might not work.