The Brazilian government on Monday waived visa requirements for visitors from Canada, the United States, Australia and Japan, a measure to boost tourism that was first temporarily adopted before the Rio Olympics in 2016.

The exemption published in the government's official gazette coincides with President Jair Bolsonaro's visit to Washington this week, during which he will meet with U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House.

The Canadian government currently recommends Canadians exercise "a high degree of caution" when travelling to Brazil, citing high crime rates and gang-related and other violence in urban areas.

It also continues to advise women who are pregnant or considering becoming pregnant to avoid travel to Brazil because of the ongoing threat of Zika virus.