2015 - anybody in the Ecuador visa pipelines?

gardener1 wrote:

So at the SS office, the official merely signed and stamped the income verification and handed it back to you. Not notarized. And then you sent the unnotarized document to DC for the apostille.
When it returned from DC apostilled what did that look like?

Correct, the SS letter was not notarized. The apostilles for both that and the FBI Background Report were on cream paper embossed with the seal of the USA Department of State and signed. Every apostille I have obtained includes a unique File Number which can be referenced by the Government of Ecuador if necessary to verify the authenticity of the apostille document.

I've sent you a PM requesting your email address so I can send you a shot of the apostille and an edited copy of my SS letter.

Also since you've been consulting with an Ecuador attorney all along the way, have you been advised of any other documents besides the police/FBI report which expire for visa purposes after 180 days?

The reason I ask is because we had a poster here a couple of years ago who went to the Cuenca ministry, and even though apostilled, denied the validity of their birth certificate because the issue date exceeded the 180 day limit.

Of course that seems stupid because an apostilled birth certificate should be valid eternally, but apparently on that day in that place the bureaucrat decided otherwise.

gardener1 wrote:

we had a poster here a couple of years ago who went to the Cuenca ministry, and even though apostilled, denied the validity of their birth certificate because the issue date exceeded the 180 day limit.

LOL!! That bureaucrat at the Cuenca ministry must have had the dog pee in his or her shoes that morning and had to take it out on somebody!  Of course, I might not find it so funny if that is the same person I have to deal with. My birth certificate was issued in May, 2013, and it's the one I used to get my passport. According to my attorney, it is good as it is. Hopefully she knows which people to approach and which to avoid at the ministry in Cuenca. Another possible advantage of using an "insider" over "DIY".

Good news! With one week to go before I leave, I just received the following message from my attorney in Cuenca:

"YOU HAVE COMPLETED ALL THE DOCUMENTS REQUIRED FOR APPLYING FOR YOUR PENSION RESIDENCY VISA, and the REGISTRATION OF YOUR UNIVERSITY DEGREE IN SENESCYT. "

(the "all caps" is her way of making sure I get the important bits of her email.  )

I will find out for sure when I meet with her on March 7th...everyone please keep your fingers crossed that she is correct. I'll update after I see her.

I saw my attorney on Monday and she has obtained an appointment for me at the Immigration Office outside Cuenca first thing tomorrow morning (Thursday). It complicates my plans to move that morning, but first things first! I can always move in the evening, if necessary. I'm actually nervous...will report back on how the process goes.

Paid my first visit to Centro de Atencion Cludadana (with my attorney). The place was not very busy. We spent 25 minutes watching the official flip through my paperwork, type on the computer keyboard and ask very few questions. She only asked in which state I applied for my passport and my age. Because I am at least 65 years of age, the $50 application fee was reduced to $25. My attorney informed me that the Visa fee of $500 would also be reduced by half. Pretty painless.

Good on you! Well done. Keep us posted.

How are you liking Cuenca so far? You found a residence?

I stayed for a week with a family near Gringolandia, but have moved to the guest house of an attorney in the Monay neighborhood (near Rio Tomebamba on the east side south of the airport). Much nicer place and I have better opportunities to use Spanish. Still in love with Cuenca. Since there are not a lot of Gringos in this part of Cuenca, I was stared at a bit while shopping at Coral yesterday and store employees shadowed me at first, then left me alone. I have managed to score a good source of Imperial Stout at a reasonable price so life is good!

Brew + Life is good; it's the best possible reply. 

I'm thrilled for your successful venture.


(So you got the visa?)

Thanks for all the good info you have posted over the past year, keep it up - and congratulations on making it all a success. You have done so well!

Very encouraging for the rest of us. Your input here has been an important source of information and much appreciated.


Enjoy the rewards of your great enterprise.

No, getting the visa isn't THAT easy! I should get an email within 30-45 days telling me one of two things: either I will be given a date and time to come and get my visa OR I'll be informed that some of my paperwork has been rejected and I need to resubmit.

The email will come to me only and I'll need to inform my attorney of any such communication. She said that if I have not heard within 30 days to let her know and she will try to find out what is holding things up.

When I had my apostilles done at the Secretary of State in Minnesota, they told me sometimes a country's Immigration Office will contact them to verify the apostille. They use the unique file number on the apostille for that purpose.

Lonecowboy here
I'm currently in the Visa application process. My Lawyer here in Otavalo stated that I would require: Official Birth certificate Document, Police clearance, & Proof of Income.

I aquired those while in Canada. While in that process, I was told all documents had to be 'legalized' by Ecuador Embassy in Canada. Meanwhile I was able to secure a House-sit in Ecuador not that far from Otavalo.
The Con. Gen. in Vancouver replied to my email by phone. I told him I prefer to see things on paper. No papers arrived in the approx. 45 days I have been in contact with him.
The Cdn. gov. issued T4A's issued Feb. 25, for pensionners, were not what he wanted. A special Services Canada document was issued at some expense of time & $. The birth cert. issued by Sask. gov. was a 'blue colored shiny paper' which he said he didn't want; ( I don't have control of that Gov.'s vital stats. dept.), I included it.
I was lucky to find an Ecuadorian former resident living in my town. She was a very qualified translator and informed me that the cheapest and Best place to have Notarization done was right at the Registry office in our town. Translation and Notarization were completed just days before my departure. I EXPRESS POsted everything the way that I understood him to say on the phone. His manner was not what you would call clear & business-like. Now he is demanding 'clean' documents with-out Notarization.
Now we're in the process of a 'mouth fight' instigated by this individual working out of his house/ Embassy in B,C. who is accusing myself & the translator of all kinds of transgressions. She was helpfull with my Mexican wife's documents translation some years back and no problems whatsoever.
I'm hoping to get a better reception at the Ottawa Embassy. These are not the only two Embassies for Ecuador in Canada. I would advise taking a long path 'around' this individual Con.Gen. when appling to come to this Great & Awesome country. I've seen a lot of cows ,mountains and Rain in my 20 day House-Sit so far.,
Bill

An update: I presented my paperwork at the Ministry on March 10th. My attorney advised that I should receive an email in 30-45 days advising me of the outcome. It has been more than 45 days and I have heard nothing. My attorney has told me that all applications, not just mine, are taking longer. No explanation was offered. I do not know if the earthquake has affected the offices or staffing levels at the Ministry, but it is possible. As always in Ecuador, things happen when they happen, not before.

Relax Dorothy, and everyone else in the process. We were recently approved and it took three months from start to finish.

'A bull in the Road'
Seems the 'cowboys' have been thrown from their horses!
' SACowboy' first and now the 'Lonecowboy' has been tossed. I studied Ecuador and it's benefits to the pensionable years of my life, for the past 9-10 years on Int Livg. Chose my lawyer early in January this year and proceeded to put together my documents.
Some time early Feb. I was informed that Docs would have to be 'legalized' before they could be sumitted to Ecuador gov. for 9.1 Visa. Waited for Feb. 25 dead-line for 'proof of Income' T4A's from Cdn. Gov. Proceeded with translation and Notarization.
In that interim a 'House-Sit' for 90 days in Ecuador appeared in my Inbox. What a great break; my lawyer assured me that I could have my Visa in 30 to 35 days of submission inside Ecuador.
Firstly the Ecuadorian Consul in Vancouver refused to work via Email. Then he didn't like the 'shiny blue colored' birth cerificate from Saskatchewan Vital Statistics dept. ,then the T4A's were not acceptable; he needed a special form, which was obtained and supplied to him. The start date of House-Sit was fast approaching. I finally got together what papers his mumbled instructions on the phone had indicated and flew here to Quito. Two days before leaving, the Canada Post Express envelopes he had insisted on, were sent off to him .
He 'sat' on those documents for 32 days before he refused to stamp them. No reason given.
At that point he became 'The Bull in the Road'. As I explained to my lawyer; "If you should be on the trail to somewhere and you are confronted by an angry bull taking up the space on the road, what do you do? You know he's angry by the way he's snorting and pawing the ground, but you don't know why".
The only solution is to go around him!. My lawyer hesitated and then turned on me ."It's your fault for coming with-out those doc's legalized".
We finally tried another Cdn. Embassy. After two very pleasing and encouraging calls to a young lady there, I was put thru to another Consul General. "Before we will consider to 'Legalize' your documents they must first be submitted to the Canadian Foreign Affairs in Ottawa to have the signatures verified".
The only signature on the four documents is from the RCMP. T4A's are not signed. Birth certicates are not signed.
I GAVE UP! Ten years of dreaming and planning and about $ 8000 later, I'll return to Mexico where I have a two year Temp. Res. Visa.
Good Bye beautiful Ecuador!

Oh smack.

Lonecowboy wrote:

My lawyer hesitated and then turned on me ."It's your fault for coming with-out those doc's legalized".

There's nothing in your post that indicates that your Ecuadorian lawyer was doing you any good.

If you still want Ecuador, do an email or a consult in person in Quito with my experienced immigration attorney, Sebastian Cordero.  scordero(at)gcabogados.com

He got me a temporary non-immigrant visa in 2013 which bought me enough time to submit my application with documents when a State Department snafu delayed an apostille.

cccmedia in Quito

Buenos Dias CC
I appreciate your concern and your offer. As a matter of fact I consulted with Sabastion last week and he too was very concerned. He at least knew of this Van. individual and similar situations in the past that he was involved in.
As I said, we did finally go to another Embassy. It seemed just as hopeless. As my tourist Visa is finished the end of May, I must leave. Even Sabastion recommended I return to Canada and start over with 'Legalization' but that is not an option for me.
I plan to have a serious look at Colombia. I cannot meet the income requirements for Panama but I will certainly check out my options there if I feel I'd like to live there. I'm house-sitting there for most of the summer.
I'm still hopeful that Manzanillo makes a better impression on me than the rest of Mexico from Laredo, Texas to Merida and back thru (driving) Quadalajara, Mazatlan and back home to Canada last spring.
Ecuador was my 'dream' place. The unfortunate  up-heaval on the coast, dashed my hopes of 'resting' there. As a retired carpenter I'm sure I could not sit idly by while all those good ,hard-working Ecuadorians are re-building their lives. After 58 years on the payroll, I'm looking for rest and relaxation.
I once again would like to commend you for the fine work you're doing
Asta Luego
Bill
aka Lonecowboy

Lonecowboy wrote:

As my tourist Visa is finished the end of May, I must leave.... Sabastion recommended I return to Canada and start over with 'Legalization' but that is not an option for me.
I plan to have a serious look at Colombia....
I once again would like to commend you for the fine work you're doing

Thanks for your kind words, Cowboy.

As someone who is obviously capable of moving around, you might consider the option of living for about 9 months per year in Ecuador.  This option eliminates the need for a permanent residency visa.  It's based on coming to Ecuador annually on a 90-day tourist stamp and getting a 180-day non-immigrant visa extension while in Ecuador.

You could then spend several months in another country, subsequently returning to Ecuador to start the 90-180-90 process again.

You could visit Colombia, Canada, Mexico, Panama or any of dozens of countries as your outside-of-Ecuador choice.  You could even visit more than one country during the back-end 90 days.

I realize that 90-180-90 adds up to 360, not 365.  There might be a five-day ‘overstay fee' to pay when departing the outside-of-Ecuador country.  However, that shouldn't be a deal-breaker as such fees are typically modest given your potential timeframe.

cccmedia in Quito

Hey CC
Thanks for the suggestions. It's worth thinking about as I'd still like to see Villacabamba, my second choice of places.
Bill

Lonecowboy wrote:

As my tourist Visa is finished the end of May, I must leave.

Based on re-reading your recent posts, it's unclear to me whether you're in Ecuador at present on a 90-day tourist stamp.  If that's the case, it may not be too late to apply for a 180-day extension.

Other options for staying on in Ecuador -- for up to 12 months -- are volunteering with an accredited organization or studying Spanish with an established school.

cccmedia in Quito

Well CC, Thanks for trying but I'm scheduled for another house-sit in Panama, June 05.
My info indicated $600 to $ 800 to extend the Visa. With-out that 'Legalization' from Canada., it would be a 'crap shoot' as to weather we could make it work. Both lawyers thought I would have to return to Canada. I spent 74 years there off and on; I'm in no hurry to return.  I'm thoroughly enjoying my new life and may return to Ecuador with some family that would love to visit based on the pics I've provided. An old 'cowboy saying'; 'If the good Lord's willing and the creek don't rise'!
( corn is alive and growing in Canada too ! )

I finally received the email notifying me that I can pick up my Residency Visa next week Thursday. The translated message reads:

Through this, I wish to inform you that your application for an immigrant visa has been approved, so you are asked to go to the offices of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs located in the city of Azogues Cañar province, at Av. April 16 and Babahoyo, the day   MAY 12, 2016, at 10h15 for the following purposes:

The department of Immigration issued a visa, for which it must bring your passport $ 250 payment of the respective tariff.   * Note: NO tickets will be received with a denomination greater than $ 50.

Oh, what a relief it is!!

Hurray!! Congratulations! Fabulous. 

And otherwise, how is life going for you in Cuenca?

Everything is going well. My Spanish has improved greatly and enables me to accomplish some business tasks without using a translator. After picking up my Residency Visa I should be able to get my cedula here in Cuenca for another $10. Just a note: I only have to pay $250 for my Visa because I am over the age of 65. Otherwise it would have been $500. I have some boxes coming in a container that I am sharing with an Ecuadorian lady. That should be arriving in another month. Life is good!! Looking forward to getting my Imperial Stout bottled and into my refrigerator next week.

Good for you and that was quick, we took about twice the time, then again being longtime expats we had to submit authenticated/apostilled documents from several countries, so I'm guessing the verification process was longer, or maybe it's Quito que. And yup it was 500 for us and 200 for kids. You can que again at Extranjeria after getting visa on same day for the cedula application document which you take to Civil Registry.

Something that was cleared up, which I appreciated upon receiving visas was notice in writing of the exact duration of the time you can stay out the country which basically translated to [you can't stay out more than 90 days for each year during the first two years, and not more than 18 consecutive months  thereafter or your visa will be cancelled]

I share your joy - it's great being a resident. 

Could it be the Gov, likes Stout drinkers better than 'old cowboys'?
Congatulations Dorothy!
Don't mind saying I'm a little jealous.!

vsimple wrote:

Something that was cleared up, which I appreciated upon receiving visas was notice in writing of the exact duration of the time you can stay out the country which basically translated to [you can't stay out more than 90 days for each year during the first two years, and not more than 18 consecutive months  thereafter or your visa will be cancelled]

Historically, the out-of-country limit has been 18 months -- either an aggregate of travel months or consecutive months -- during a five-year period.

cccmedia in Quito

Lonecowboy wrote:

Firstly the Ecuadorian Consul in Vancouver refused to work via Email. Then he didn't like the 'shiny blue colored' birth cerificate from Saskatchewan Vital Statistics dept.

The consul in Vancouver is a pain the a$$!

If you send the birth certificates to the Ecuadorian consulate in Ottawa or Toronto they will quite happily deal with the large shiny birth certificates. They did for me.

And you don't need T4A's. All you need is 3 or 4 months of bank statements showing regular deposits. Them's the rules here in Ecuador. If the consul in Vancouver is telling to get T4A's tell him to go and take a hike and use another consulate in Canada.

The RCMP document does not have to be authenticated:  Only the bank statements and the birth certificate. The bank statements need to be notarized and then authenticated by Canadian Foreign Affairs.

Sorry to be a nag, but If you had done your homework before you started the process you would have had much better success (i.e., read the trove of information and experiences of others who have gone through the process). Even if you were to use a lawyer or a facilitator find out what is involved so that you know if your lawyer or facilitator is properly advising/helping you. And you should have had all these documents in hand before coming to Ecuador. It is much more difficult trying to do this remotely. And, preferably, DON't use a lawyer!!!! They will just eat up your dinero really fast. Try Visa Angels. They are expat facilitators and do not charge for their services. They have helped many people acquire their visas. They are based in Cuenca (I believe). But they may help you even if you are located in another part of Ecuador.

vsimple wrote:

Something that was cleared up, which I appreciated upon receiving visas was notice in writing of the exact duration of the time you can stay out the country which basically translated to [you can't stay out more than 90 days for each year during the first two years, and not more than 18 consecutive months  thereafter or your visa will be cancelled]

And if you are planning on applying for citizenship the restriction is even greater. My understanding is that you cannot stay out of the country anymore than 90 days during the three year period after you obtain your cedula. You have to wait 3 years before you can apply for citizenship and then it takes, apparently, 6 months or so to complete. I have heard that it is possible to apply for citizenship 2.5 years after the date on your cedula. Once you have citizenship  you no longer need a visa. Also, once you have your citizenship you can stay out of the country indefinitely.

MikeGB wrote:

I have heard that it is possible to apply for citizenship 2.5 years after the date on your cedula. Once you have citizenship  you no longer need a visa..

The Cuenca office shot down that 2.5 year rumor when I went to talk to them about naturalization.  3 years is the minimum they told me.

Hi Gardener 1,

Here is my success story for 2015-16. I lived in Ottawa, Canada and left at end of Oct 2015.  I had allmy ducks in a row for a professional visa, which my lawyer advised upon, rather tan the Investment visa.  At the time I did not think that the Cdn pension was sufficient for a Pension type visa.  My lawyer, firm of Espinosa Reyes in Loja, was recommended to me, they speak French, English and Spanish, which are my languages so hey why not,at $900.  This was actually rather an outrageous fee, half of which I paid upfront from Canada.  Yes, the RCMP background check, as well as all other docs, was authenticated by Department of Foreign Affairs, etc.  I think that the Provincial one needed first to be notarized, so I went back to the notary.  Previous to all this, I had a lovely Venezuelan I think translator do all my docs, so we usually went to the notary together so that he could also notarize her translations.  In Nov 2015, the lawyer sent in my undergraduate degree to be registered with EC govt.  He said that it would be faster than to use the graduate degree.  This was done before Christmas.  On 5 Jan I was in Machala to submit my docs to Ministerio de relaciones extranjeros.  The not so nice woman at the desk stated that I could not get my visa fee reduced to half even though I was 65- that was reserved for Ecuadorians , try to figure that one out!  I waited exactlly four months, as there was a delay in all visas due partially to a new person in the job.  Finally only one signature remained, the lawyer was checking and harassing them weekly.  I told him that my elderly mother might have to go into hospital - you never know, it could be true as she is very elderly - and shortly afterward, he said that visa was approved.  I never did receive an email from the Ministerio but who cares.  Went back to Machala and got the visa for $250.  The not so nice woman was processing Passports that day, and a lovely Young man said, how lucky, you get to pay half Price, who was I to argue.  My only comment is that on the buses, going to the banjo is definitely regarded as a privilege, not a right, and you have to beg them to unlock the door.  Very happy, going to Cuenca next week for my cédula.

HelenPivoine

As an addendum - I would not use the services of my lawyer again due to the excessive fees, although they are competent.  Instead >I now have a lovely Vilcabamba lawyer, speaks only Spanish, with offices in Loja.  Very good in his work also.

HelenPivoine

Cedula Question:

1. Can we use a certified copy or laminated copy of our cedula to enter clubs/pubs that require it for entrance?

so MikeGB, i have to assume you've followed my visa woes. what would be your advice as to how to proceed ? Shoulda , Coulda,  Woulda, is an old game that has already been tried by the lawyer I engaged last November prior to the start of all this. 10 plus years following International living, sorta constitutes an attempt at learning the processes by reading almost daily comments.
What I could use is advice on going forward.
Kind of a shame I hadn't seen your comments about Vancouver's Consul  General before the fact.

My translated and notarized documents are back home in Alberta from Van. A set of 'clean' documents were sent to Ottawa from my lawyer here in Ecuador, after the debacle in Vancouver.
In an effort to start again with a 'clean slate', I today emailed Toronto consulate to ask if they would assist me in the 'Legalization' process.
Any further advice going forward.?
Bill

vsimple wrote:

Can we use a certified copy or laminated copy of our cedula to enter clubs/pubs that require it for entrance?

For nightclubs, bring your original cédula.  While it's conceivable a few nightclubs might be fine with a copy, many clubs have changed hands in the past two years.  In some cases, the previous owners were not complying with regulations on paying taxes or verifying the right-to-work of some foreign employees.

Now the new club owners are often requiring the genuine article -- the original cédula or picture ID.  An original passport might work too.

Bouncers  and vigilantes employed at these clubs routinely ask to see the cédula and they deny entrance to club-goers who don't bring the original.

A pub might be a different story.  To be safe, bring the original ID at least the first time you go to the pub.

Could you laminate a copy of your cédula and trim the edges so professionally that it appears to be the original?  I believe that's possible.  Your ability to enter the club might then depend on whether the laminated document copy fools the bouncer.

cccmedia in Quito

Lonecowboy wrote:

10 plus years following International living, sorta constitutes an attempt at learning the processes by reading almost daily comments.

For me, and a number of others I have read about,  International Living is the last place we would go for advice. There are many blogs that detail how people have gone about the process. Googling for "Ecuador blog" is one way to find them. And from one blog you will no doubt find links to other blogs.

There are also forums (such as this one) where the visa question has been answered many times.

Lonecowboy wrote:

What I could use is advice on going forward.

The process has been detailed many times so, like I said before, peruse the blogs of expats that have already gone through the same process. I used the word "same" because there are different visas you can obtain. The process for you would be slightly different for the others. Th exact requirements are listed on the Ecuador government website:  http://www.cancilleria.gob.ec/requisito … migrantes/

This page is in Spanish. You can use Google translate to interpret for you. There is an English version on the website but it is not as up-to-date as this one (or at least did not used to be).

Click on "Requisitos para solicitud de visas Inmigrante". Then click on (in your case), "Visa 9 – I Rentista – Pensión del Exterior".

This page basically says you need the following:

1)  A passport that is valid for at least 6 months.
2)  A RCMP criminal record in a place you have lived for at least 5 years and it says it needs to be authenticated by an Ecuadorian consulate. The guy at the Consulate in Vancouver said I did not have to do this and it appears he was right as it went through without a hitch. So he is good for some things. Since it says this on the governments website I would do it just to be on the safe side. The criminal background check that I received from the RCMP was both in English and Spanish so did not have to be translated once I arrived here. This criminal check can be no older than 180 days from when you submit your visa application.
3)  A document that shows your pension income. These are usually in the form of 6 months of bank statements that show regular deposits. This would have to prove you have a monthly income of no less than $800 US for yourself and $100 US for each dependent. These bank statements need to be notarized, then authenticated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Canada (DFAIT) (there is one in Victoria and one in Ottawa). Then they have to be authorized by an Ecuadorian consulate. Send them to any consulate you prefer (you do not have to use the Vancouver consulate). Once you are in Ecuador you will have to have them translated. Do not do this before coming to Ecuador.
4)  If you are married, you will need marriage certificates for the both of you. I do not know the rulings on these as I am not married (i.e., whether they need authenticating and then authorizing). They will definitely need to be translated once in Ecuador. The Consulate should be able to confirm this for you.
5)  Bring long-form birth certificates for both of you (again assuming you are married). You won't need these for your visa but you may need them for your Cedula and you will most certainly need them if you wish to acquire an Ecuadorian driver's license. The Ecuadorian consulate in Ottawa will quite happily authorize these for you after they have been authenticated by DFAIT. The guy in Vancouver, as you have found out, will not.

Make damn sure your names are spelled exactly the same on all documents. If you have a problem you need to get that ironed out before you come here. Many people have run into problems because for example Mike is used on one document and Michael is used on another.

If you have trouble getting your documents with the same name you could consider having a notary verify that the names on all your documents are the same person and then have that authenticated by DFAIT and then authorized by a Consulate. That may do the trick. I did not have to do this so I can't be sure. But it is an option. I would suggest emailing the Ministerio here before doing this.

"Descargar Formulario" gives you the Visa application form which must accompany your application.

I believe that is all you need unless you are bringing children and/or animals.

Getting this all done while you are in Ecuador can be a real challenge. Although people have done it. You will need someone in Canada that act for you with Power of Attorney (especially if anything has the notarized).

Also all documents you have translated in Ecuador must then be notarized here.

You can email them with questions:   [email protected]
There is also:  Ana Lucia Serrano (regional director of the foreign ministry) [email protected]

They will respond to questions in English. I used Google translate (even though it isn't perfect) to try and show respect. I don't know whether it made a difference or not.

I also have an email address of one of the lawyers that works at the Ministerio de Migraciones (which is now located in Azogues not far from Cuenca. He speaks English and may be able to help you if you have some kind of legal visa issue to deal with.

Lonecowboy wrote:

Kind of a shame I hadn't seen your comments about Vancouver's Consul  General before the fact.

My blog is at: mike-in-ecuador.blogspot.com/   Specifically, you want to look at the Visa parts.

Folks,

This kind of hassle is why I had all my documents translated by a professional translator in Canada and then had her translations notarized and legalized by DFAIT and then submitted them to Ottawa Consulate for their stamp.

helenPivoine

HelenPivoine wrote:

Folks,
This kind of hassle is why I had all my documents translated by a professional translator in Canada and then had her translations notarized and legalized by DFAIT and then submitted them to Ottawa Consulate for their stamp.
helenPivoine

I don't know how this has gone for other people, but the recommendation has always been to have your documents translated in Ecuador. I guess the quality of translation has not been good for some. Maybe you got lucky with the translator that you hired. Might be a good idea to post her/his name so that others might benefit.

Last update: I got my 9-I Visa stamp on my passport last week and today I have my cedula! The long process is finally complete and went faster than many others have reported. I got lucky!