Applying for retirement visa from Canada

Has anyone applied for their retirement or investment visas prior to heading to Ecuador?  I am both retired and an investor here in Ecuador, so either visa is an option.  I've read some bad experiences with those getting investor visas, so will probably do the retirement one.

I live in Ontario, so getting to Ottawa to go to the Canadian Embassy and the Ecuadorian Consulate is very easy for me.

Would appreciate hearing your opinion and/or experience.

Thank you
Gram

Hi GramClark,

From my experience with an investor visa (obtained here in Ecuador), you cannot get your resident visa from Canada, and I believe it to be the same for all resident visas. You will have to get in as a tourist, with a 6 months visa, because with this visa, the Ecuadorian Consulate will verify your criminal record, money, health. That is the first step.

Go to your local Ecuadorian Consulate, or send them an email to make sure. They will give you a list of things to do.

Thank you!  I have done quite a bit of research and thought I had read somewhere that you could apply before arriving here.  I will contact the consulate when I return to Canada next week to verify.

no prbs.

When I was a the consulate and ask for an investors visa, that is the procedure to fallow, as stated above.

And I have read that they wont let you in with an investors visa. Only with a tourist visa. I do not know if this is true or not? So even if it is possible(?) to do a retirement visa from Canada, you will still need 2 visas.

So yes go to the consulate. They will also ask for valid passport and the 2 way plane ticket. Also note that they only take US dollars. So prepare 300 U$D

All documents will have to be translated by a certified translator, and some documents will also need to be notarised.

The notary that notarised your docs, will have to be notarised by the head notary office... believe it or not.

Anyways, good luck and try not to kill anyone in the process :D It looks worst than it actually is.