For the IT people!

You should look firstly at the visa question. After getting married, it gets much more than 8 months to obtain your visa (ie right to work). Make a few searches on this forum.
Now for IT question. Computer science degree from a US university is what all brazilian IT people dream about. So good start for you. In this field, you do not need to validate your diplomas. Your IT work experience in US will be recognized as non-existent. Brazilian companies love IT certifications (Microsoft, Networkk/CISCO, methodology, project-management and any software vendor certification). English is a plus but portuguese (fluent) is the most important. All together you will be in competition with all Brazilians. If you are young, motivated, persistent and ready to start from scratch, you have got some opportunities. But do not forget that brazilians companies have obligation to fill job for brazilian and motivate that they need a foreigner.
You did not say where you will leave. SP Paulo is the right place for IT; all other cities have much less opportunities.
This is very tought to find of job in IT (or any other field) when already in Brazil. All the foreigners who are employes came to Brazil like "expat" (a foreign company send them here). All other people actually created their own business (or give private languages lessons but impossible to live decently with that ...).
Your best bet is with companies where you already worked (or clients/provider who know you) and which operate in Brazil. Linkedin is well used in Brazil but more than anywere personal/face to face networking is the most important. Brazil is a place where people are known in business by their first name, even just a nickname. So it can happen only when meeting people in real. So you can make good contact online but find a job in Linkedin is difficult. All the time it will finished by "great, so let's have a chat when you are in Brazil". 
From my personnal experience (good CV, IT manager, 16 year international experience working for biggest players in financial markets. quite well prepared for Brazil (speaking portuguese, culture, etc), but certainly I did not want to start from scratch and possibly I was older than you; I understood the best was to create by business. Tough also but this is my own business and rewards are bigger.

Hello Yes I will be living in Sao Paulo.  I believe there are new policies in place so that you can begin work sooner which I am looking into, due to many complaints for those marrying there.  I am extremely motivated as this is my happiness I am working on to be with my Fiancee and friend of 10 years who is also well connected.  I do not mind starting from scratch at all I really just want to be able to have a position I am able to make enough money to handle my expenses and not drain on her too hard at first.  I will be bringing a good amount of savings so that I can job hunt for just about 5-9 months without worry of money.   My English is natural and my Portuguese is approaching fluent and been to Brazil 5 times.  I also suppose that my first job does not HAVE to be in my field obviously i prefer it.  If i can find a good job where I can pay my bills I would be more than content as well.  I work for Thomson Reuters Financial for 6 years now they have offices in SP and some positions I am working within the company for possible transfer but does not appear they will want to.  However, it helps that they have offices and openings I am qualified for there.  I appreciate your reply and will take all of your opinions into consideration.

m3gatl20n wrote:

I believe there are new policies in place so that you can begin work sooner which I am looking into, due to many complaints for those marrying there

This is a reasonable assumption but it is not a valid point in Brazil; heard about Brazilian bureaucratic headaches?. This is more 2 years than 8 months. Just look at other discussions recently updated on this same forum.
I was working in the same field. Thomson Reuters is a great company and continuing expanding. Really try everything to get a job offer there. This is your best bet.
Try also competitors like Bloomberg, your clients (banks, brokers, funds) and third parties/partner (exchanges, network, other vendor). All the best.

I'd suggest working for a US company remotely from Brazil, as I have done. Advantage is that Brazilian IT jobs pay about 20% of what you'd expect in the US, and at times even less, so you'll earn much, much more. Plus, you don't need a work permit, so you escape that bureaucratic headache, though I didn't find the process slow in my case. Long story short - work remotely for a US company (or other first-world firm) if at all possible.

Yes indeed that would be the perfect solution. Unfortunately not all companies are flexible enough to manage remote employeees or contractors. And not all IT roles are compatible with remote work.

What programming languages do you do? Perhaps I can be of some assistance, you never know. Also, what languages do you speak? You can also work as a translator online, as I do as well.