AboutKen Rapoza Cruz Expertise I can help would be travelers find places to go, help them decide whether or not they should book tour packages in their home country or wait til they arrive in Brazil, and other relevant info about the country and its travel amenities. General questions about Brazil and living in Brazil.
Experience Ken Rapoza is a former contributing editor at International Living, a monthly magazine about travel and real estate. Rapoza has also given speeches about Brazil travel and real estate offerings at Int'l Living conferences in the US. He now covers Brazil for a major U.S. news agency in New York City. He lives in Sao Paulo.
Publications International Living, The Boston Globe, The Sun Sentinel, The Washington Times, The Wall Street Journal and many others.
Education/Credentials BA -- Antioch College
MFA -- Vermont College
Question Hello Mr. Cruz. I have been perusing your messages and thought I'd offer up my situation to see if you had any insight.
I too, am a spouse of a Brazilian citizen. We are living in CA at this time. He is from Goiania. Since we met, he has told me he wants to move back to Goiania, permanently.
My question to you is, what advice do you have for expatriate spouses? I have lived overseas before, and visited Brazil a few times. I speak some portuguese, I love the culture, so I am prepared to spend some time there. How viable do you think it is to keep a property in CA (like a condo) and live part-time in each country?
My husband has a business in Brazil so our income albeit lower than that of CA, would not disappear once moving to BR.
I work in CA as a social worker but am thinking about teaching English in Goiania (I used to be a ESL teacher). I'd actually like to teach @ a university but I have read they don't pay much, or that it's really hard to get a job there for a foreigner. would I be able to get a work visa due to my marital status? or is that related to employers? I think there is a good market for english teachers in Goiania as I don't know too many americans there.
Thanks for any input you have! I appreciate it.
Answer Wellp, if you dont mind moving to Brazil then you should be fine. But PERMANENTLY? That could cause a marital riff eventually if one of you doesnt like that inflexibility.
It is advisable you keep your property in CA and rent it out so you dont lose it. You can only spend time in both countries if you have a viable self employment income in both nations, or make enough money in CA that can sustain you when you are in Brazil. For example, some writers have jobs that do not depend on location. Like me. Tho not anymore.
You can teach English in Brazil and at least make enough to pay for food and maybe rent. There are a few private English schools you can go to and seeing you lived in the US, they would love you. Tho, of course, it wont be a cakewalk, so dont expect to get full time employment. YOu might have to teach one or two classes at one school, and then another one or two at another school.
Your marital status entitles you to a "green card": a perm resident visa. Definitely permits you to work. You first have to:
1. Register your marriage at a local "cartorio".
2. Once registered, take that marriage to the immigration department of the local Federal Police.
3. You will pay a fee. I dunno what that fee is anymore. Figure R$200. And youwill instantly get a piece of paper saying you can work, I believe they stamp your passport. Later you will get an ID for perm resident. This could take a few days.
