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Quick question.

• What is your native language? Travel can be very complicated I would use that country as my travel base.

I love living in Brazil (Parazinho in Ceara), but only because I lived in the USA for 60 years already. All my navigating thru life is done.

This is retirement life, if I was more active (occupation-wise) i would choose the USA.

Roddie in Retirement

03/05/23 @deafmgecko. Are you planning on getting married in the United States or in Brazil? The process of becoming a resident is a little different, depending on where you get married. Somewhat simpler starting in the US if you're planning on living in Brazil, especially if your fiancée already has a tourist visa for the US, but more travel costs; starting in Brazil is also possible, but you have to have all of your documents in order and keep an eye on the calendar.

If the plan is to live in the US, that changes everything. The the process must start with your fiancée getting a K-1 ("Fiancée") Visa from the US Embassy in Brasília. Do NOT get married in the US on a tourist visa if the plan is to then apply for US residency. That will land you in a world of hurt.

You don't need to be in any rush to get Brazilian citizenship: unlike the US, Brazil puts NO pressure on Permanent Residents to become citizens, ever. You can go and come as you please, and keep renewing your residency as long as you're never out of Brazil for more than two years at a time. The only noticeable differences between being a Permanent Resident or a citizen is that citizens can vote and compete for civil service jobs, and don't have to report changes of address to the Federal Police.

As the spouse of a Brazilian, you can apply for naturalization as soon as one year after the issue date of your CRNM. The kind of absences that you're talking about will probably be an issue with the Federal Police; being out of the country for 90 days or more during the one-year measurement period without an excuse acceptable to them is ground for rejection. They may accept job requirements as an excuse, but are more likely to just tell you to try again when you're more able to satisfy the requirement.

Unless you have a bachelor's or higher degree from a Brazilian university, you'll have to pass the CelpeBras exam to demonstrate your Portuguese proficiency to qualify for citizenship. If your Portuguese is good enough, you can take the test and get that certificate anytime; it doesn't expire. You can test yourself on old exams here:

Good luck with your planning. We're here to help with your other questions, if we can.

@roddiesho

English is my first language. 

@deafmgecko if you are planning on living in Brazil l strongly suggest you become proficient in Portuguese. Once you get even a little bit out of the tourist areas you are going to need it. Unlike the USA Brazil makes no effort to accommodate other languages.

@abthree Thank you very much for your information.  It's very helpful.  We are thinking of getting married in Brazil. 

As for Portuguese test, I'm deaf and it's difficult for me to hear and understand words for oral test.  Would they waive that test due to disability?  The written test shouldn't be a problem for me.

@KenAquarius Oh, I'm aware of it.  I have been there twice.  I'm still learning Portuguese.

Thank you!

@deafmgecko That's cool as long as you know the deal. Brazil is not an easy place to make it if you are still young and working.

Even if you meet the legal requirements to work,  the pay is generally quite low. All the young people I meet there want nothing more than to get out, as they feel there is little opportunity. I can't say I disagree with them.

@abthree  As for Portuguese test, I'm deaf and it's difficult for me to hear and understand words for oral test. Would they waive that test due to disability? The written test shouldn't be a problem for me.
-@deafmgecko

You can request special accommodations at the time that you register for the test.  The registration authorities will ask a number of questions to determine the degree of accommodation that you will need, and probably work with you on the arrangements.  As you'll see when you look at the old tests in detail, you'll probably require accommodations on both the written and the oral tests.

As you're probably aware, Brazil has it's own sign language, called "Libras"; I understand that it's quite different from ASL.

CelpeBras is only offered twice a year.  Here's the schedule for 2023; registration for the April test has already closed, but will open for the October test in August:

@KenAquarius Thank you!  I'm aware of low pay in Brazil compared to USA.  The cost of living in Brazil is low so I'm not concerned about pay.  The quality of life is good in Brazil.  I did some research and did visit in Brasilia.  I'm planning to visit more this year.