Any upcoming changes in visa requrements?

[WILLIAM TROMPETER]

I have a friend in Quito whose wife works for the immigration agency in Ecuador. He tells me that she is on a committee that is considering changes to the visa requirements that would make it more difficult to obtain one. More stringent documentation is being proposed, and I would assume that fees may be raised as well as the minimum income required for the pensioner’s visa. The last information I heard on this was in December and at that point, the changes were to be implemented in February, 2013. I have asked several attorneys to contact immigration in order to verify what I had been told but none will. Does anyone here have any information on this? I am scrambling to get my documentation in order for a pensioner’s visa by the end of this month just in case.

[EI EXPERT – EDD STATON]

Changes to laws, rules, and regulations are rarely announced in advance. When implemented they catch everyone off guard, including attorneys.

[WILLIAM TROMPETER]

That confirms what I suspected. It seems to me, though, that a well connected attorney could make a phone call and find out.

I do have a related question, however. The attorney I am dealing with in Cuenca tells me to get my documentation together as soon as possible and schedule an appointment to meet with him when I get there. That makes me wonder if the real issue is whether or not I have my documentation with dates that precede any change in the immigration policy. In other words, is “grandfathering” the norm in Ecuador in situations like this? My assumption was that when a new policy was enacted, everyone would have to go to square one as we do in the U.S.  Maybe my assumption was incorrect.

I find the timing of the proposed changes interesting in that both International Living and Live and Invest Overseas  have conferences in Quito in February. It seems to me that it would be important to have proper visa application information for the people who attend them.

 

[EI EXPERT – EDD STATON]

I think perhaps from afar you’re reading way too much into your situation. A good attorney will always give you the advice you received because the timer starts as soon as you get here. A swift start maximizes your chances of completing the visa process before your 90 day T-3 runs out. Grandfathering is not a concept in Ecuador, a country where the mindset revolves around “today.” I assure you the dates of the conferences has nothing to do with any “insider information” on any of this stuff you’re concerned about, and that the most current info will be presented to the attendees.

[WILLIAM TROMPETER]

Hello, Ed! Before I respond, I wanted to let you know how informative and entertaining your blog is, and I recommend it to everyone on this forum.

Some clarifications: I didn’t say that grandfathering is a concept in Ecuador, but I mentioned it because that concept is easily understood by those of us who live or have lived in the U.S.  I am simply trying to determine if changes are coming in February, can I still get a residential visa in Ecuador under the current guidelines as long as I have my documentation in order by the end of this month?

I also did not say that the dates of the conferences had anything to do with any insider information, only that the conferences would be happening the same month as the proposed changes. I don’t know, however, how those changes will be presented when I haven’t been able to get an attorney’s attention to verify or discredit them.

As you pointed out in your first response on this thread, changes like this catch everyone off guard, including attorneys. I don’t think the most current information will magically appear at a conference given the circumstances. When was the last time the visa application process was changed?

[EI EXPERT – EDD STATON]

I don’t recall major changes to the basic requirements since I moved here almost three years ago. What does change are the documents required–we need a health report/no we don’t; we don’t need a police report/yes we do. A new rule surfaced out of nowhere regarding cedulas some months back asking unmarried people to produce official paperwork proving they were single. This obviously caused an uproar since there is no such thing as a “single certificate” and the rule was quickly withdrawn. But these examples give you an idea about the volatility and unpredictability of documentation requirements in Ecuador.

PS. Thanks for the blog shout-out 🙂

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