President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva vetoed a bill that would have recognized student internships as professional work experience.

The decision maintains the current legal distinction between educational training and formal employment. This prevents a shift in how the Brazilian government and private sector quantify professional qualifications for students entering the workforce.

The vetoed legislation, Bill (PL) No. 2,762 of 2019 [1], sought to amend the existing legal framework governing internships. Specifically, the bill aimed to change Law No. 11,788, which was established on Sept. 25, 2008 [2]. Under the proposed amendment, the time a student spends in an internship would have been legally counted as professional experience.

By rejecting the bill in full, the president ensures that Law No. 11,788 [2] remains the authoritative standard for internships in Brazil. This law separates the act of learning through a supervised internship from the requirements of professional tenure.

The legislative process for Bill 2,762 began in 2019 [1], but the recent veto prevents the measure from becoming law. The president chose to reject the amendment to maintain the current legal status of internships across the federal level.

Government officials have not provided a detailed public statement regarding the specific reasoning for the veto beyond the decision to maintain the existing framework. The current system continues to treat internships as educational tools rather than professional career milestones.

“President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva vetoed a bill that would have recognized student internships as professional work experience.”

The veto preserves the status quo of the Brazilian labor market, where internships are viewed as pedagogical extensions of schooling rather than professional employment. By upholding the 2008 law, the administration avoids potential legal complications regarding benefits, taxes, and seniority claims that might arise if internships were legally equated to professional experience.