beginning my research on legal aspects

Welcome Len,
You may want to have her come to the US and get married. (Take her to Las Vegas for a quick some day marriage). Then take the marriage cert. to the BR Consulate and have it registered. I say this because it makes
obtaining a permanent resident a little faster. Apply for a Family Reunion Visa and begin getting all your documents in order prior to coming to BR.
As to working online, no issues.
Taxes; money earned in US, taxes paid in US. Freelance if working for a BR company you have to have a work permit. and can only obtain such after obtaining a CRNM.
Again welcome. Start asking question here on certain subjects This introduction  is just that =, introducing yourself. New questions, you will get more help from across BR than here.
Stay safe

McLen wrote:

Hi!

My name is Len, and I'm from Portland OR, USA. I'm middle-aged and my fiance is 25 and very pretty, LOL! She lives in João Pessoa/PB, Brazil. We intend to marry next year (2021) in Brazil. I met her online a few years ago and have visited and returned every year.

I would like to move to Brazil, get married, and live there for 2 years while she finishes her studies. During that time, I want to work remotely (in Brazil) for my current USA employer or perhaps freelance. When my fiance has her Green card, we intend to have dual citizenship, and have homes in both countries, renting them when we're not staying in them.

I am beginning my research on legal aspects of: marriage, long-term Brazil residency, having a home business with USA clients, how taxes and insurance is handled, banking, buying and owning a house or apartment. Would love to get legal advice from lawyers.

I have getting online Portuguese tutoring, I know this is very important! I want to very have basic conversational skills by next year.

Since Covid-19, I've been sending whatever money I can to my fiance, and she's making donations to charities in need. I use TransferWise because they have really good exchange rates and low fees. (Sorry about the plug!)

Welcome Len and feel free to ask questions anytime.

Welcome, Len!
Your plan is extremely doable on the Brazil side - my husband and I did it in 2017 with no hiccups.   As Tex said, getting married in the US and doing your initial processing through the Brazilian Consulate avoids a lot of potential complications.
As for the "dual citizenship" part, that's a "yes" for you, probably a "no" for your fiancée:   Brazil is far more generous than the US in that regard.  If you want to discuss that further,  put a question up on a subject thread and we will.

Hi Texanbrazil,
Our original plan was to elope in Europe marry  and then honeymoon until the money or time runs out.
Since covid19, we decided that, since she has a lot of relatives and I hardly have any, our fallback plan was to marry in Brazil.
I see that it is more difficult and time-consuming. But I'm willing to work through the process.

Hi Abthree,
Regarding dual citizenship. Yes, I'm sure it's more difficult for Brazilians to get USA citizenship, but I don't think it's impossible. She's getting a technical degree so she'll be somewhat more valuable as an employee for american companies. This can also happen with a work visa, but our goal is for her to be able to work in the USA.
Len

Hi Len,

Welcome to Expat.com

I have created a new thread with your post in the Brazil forum.
Now it will be easier for you to communicate with our forum members. 

Thanks,

Priscilla
Expat.com team

Len,
If that's the plan, it's more doable, although it's a longterm commitment.
We originally wanted to go in that direction, and got as far as consulting an immigration attorney in the US.  The requirement that a Green Card applicant/holder can't be outside the US for over six months in any calendar year made it a non-starter for us.

Hi Len,

It's definitely an option to get married in Brazil. You just have to be a bit organized. If you would like to go this route, I would ask your fiancée to contact her local cartório and ask what documents are needed for getting married with a foreigner.

You will likely need:

1. Passport
2. CPF
3. Birth certificate with parents' full names - issued within last 6 months, with apostille (from your state of birth) and official translation (tradução juramentada, which you can get in Brazil)
4. Declaration of civil status (basically a declaration that you are not married) - you can get a sworn affidavit from a US consulate in Brazil (ask cartório if they will accept this)

Once you have all the documents, you can go to the cartório to register. If you want to get married at the cartório, then you can select a date 30 days later (although you might be able to schedule it sooner). If you don't speak Portuguese very well, then you might need an official translator for the ceremony.

Apologies if I'm missing anything.

Regarding learning Portuguese, glad to hear that you are getting online tutoring.

I recommend using a website like italki, where you can find a native teacher. Hourly rates are quite reasonable. That way you can focus on speaking, which I have found to be more useful than just learning vocabulary lists.

I had the advantage of studying Spanish before, but was able to reach an intermediate level within six months. You can definitely do it! Good luck.

I think the very best way to learn is to plop yourself down in a living situation where no one speaks any english ....your own frustration will drive you to learn faster!  Then, use the online videos when you have free time....I like this lady ....
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H6UGVnW0nz8