Visa & Immigration.

Betsy: usually the challenge is document validity, meeting exactly what the Ministry asks for, and knowing what the evaluator may ask next. Apostilles, translations, date windows, and certificate formats have to line up. That's why 99% of the cases we file get approved: someone whose full-time job is watching the current asks makes sure everything matches before submission.

Yes, provided your tourist stamp is still valid and you meet the requirements of the visa category. You cannot apply if you have overstayed. Documents like federal criminal background checks, marriage certificates, birth certificates for dependent children, pension letters, and academic degrees almost always need to be apostilled before you arrive.

It depends on the category, how ready your documents are, and the current Ministry workload, so we don't publish fixed timelines. Clean cases can finish in as little as 2 months. More complex ones run 4 to 5 months or longer. Professional visas take longer because the foreign degree must first be registered (1 to 2 months) before the visa itself is filed. Dependent visas depend on the principal applicant's visa landing first.

You can reapply, but a new government application fee has to be paid. Depending on the reason for denial, some supporting documents may need to be reissued or re-apostilled, and those costs (translation, notarisation, government fees) are not waived. Our professional fee for the second filing is reviewed based on the work involved. We will not tell you that a refile is free or that the fee covers one rework, because that isn't how the Ministry operates.

The FBI report must be no more than 180 days old on the date it is submitted, measured at submission. The old practice of entering Ecuador before it expired is no longer accepted. US citizens generally need both the federal FBI check AND a corresponding state police report.

5 cm x 5 cm, white background, neutral facial expression, no eyeglasses, no earrings, no visible jewelry. Non-compliant photos are rejected on sight.

Temporary residency (the 2-year period): you cannot be outside Ecuador for more than 90 days TOTAL across the two-year period. That is a cumulative cap, not per year. Going over disqualifies you from converting to permanent.

First two years of permanent residency: no more than 180 days per year outside Ecuador, counted from the anniversary of the PR grant (not calendar years). From year 3 onward: no more than 2 consecutive years outside Ecuador, or you can lose permanent residency.

Both. The award letter has to show at least the qualifying amount, and the actual monthly bank deposit has to clear the same threshold. A deduction (Medicare, for example) is fine only if the net deposit still clears $1,446. Bank statements from the last 3 months are what we submit.

Only if one spouse applies as a dependent of the other. Two INDEPENDENT applicants each have to meet the income threshold on their own. The supported structure is: one principal meeting the base ($1,446/mo) and the other added as a dependent, with an extra $250/mo per dependent (which the principal can self-deposit).

Yes, provided the amount clears the $1,446 threshold and the paying institution provides documentation confirming the payment is for life. The same applies to Social Security retirement, military pensions, and private company pensions that come with a lifetime-payment letter.

Ecuadorian CDs generally pay between 7.5% and 8.5%; some cooperatives offer around 9%. We most often recommend JEP / Jardín Azuayo. Deposit insurance (COSEDE) covers up to $32,000 per depositor per institution at banks, mutual associations, and Segment-1 coops. Segment 2 is $11,290; Segment 3 is $5,000. Large investors diversify across institutions.

Yes. International coverage, even when it names Ecuador, is a real problem at filing. A local Ecuadorian policy avoids the objection entirely. IESS voluntary affiliation runs about $84.83/month at the current basic salary ($482), calculated at roughly 17.6% of declared income.

In general: 3 consecutive years of permanent residency, then apply for naturalisation. If you are married to an Ecuadorian citizen: 2 years from the date the marriage is registered in Ecuador. Naturalisation is filed in person by the applicant, not through a power of attorney.

You can request a tourist-stamp extension in person at any Migración office (the applicant has to go, not a representative) for a $161 fee. If you miss day 90, you can still extend up to day 120, but a fine of 50% of the basic salary (about $241) is added on top of the extension fee. Past day 120 with no filing or extension, you are out of status.