Questions

Had you considered a $25,000 investment to receive a visa that way?  Don't know that anyone has been able to get a pensioner visa with less than $800 in monthly retirement income.

I don't have cash $25,000 for a Corporate Visa, although I had considered this Visa when the requirement was closer to $1,000.

How about a small loan?  TEEHEE  Just Joking. 

Thank You for the Reply,  I have it on my list to register at this site, post to this site, and get questions answered.

Allayne wrote:

I don't have cash $25,000 for a Corporate Visa, although I had considered this Visa when the requirement was closer to $1,000.

How about a small loan?  TEEHEE  Just Joking. 

Thank You for the Reply,  I have it on my list to register at this site, post to this site, and get questions answered.

Good luck in your search.  If you do not have $25,000 and will be living on less than $800/month I wonder how you can move to Cuenca in 4 months.

mugtech wrote:

Good luck in your search.  If you do not have $25,000 and will be living on less than $800/month I wonder how you can move to Cuenca in 4 months.

Allayne, mugtech and I are infamous sparing partners    But in this case, mugtech is spot on. Yes, you could possibly live on $800 per month, but I don't think you'd want too. I live a pretty Spartan life (e.g., small 1-bedroom apartment, shop for food most exclusively at the Mercado's, don't go out for dinning more than a couple times per month, etc.) but I still spend just under $1,000 per month. This is after two years here. That couple of hundred dollars difference is just how much life here has gone up over the last 3-4 years.

I hope you can come up with a solution that satisfies the requirements.

symo

I have other income, not large, and my son helps out, if needed.  Try not to use his resources but they are available.

My concern was establishing residency and fitting the income requirements.

I am wondering, if my  book store Online income in US would count towards residency?

New Questions, I will be getting a 180 day Tourist Visa before departing.  I was told by a retreat, you could renew this Visa for another 180 days?  Nothing Online indicates this Visa can be extended. ?

Allayne wrote:

I have other income, not large, and my son helps out, if needed.  Try not to use his resources but they are available.

My concern was establishing residency and fitting the income requirements.

I am wondering, if my  book store Online income in US would count towards residency?

New Questions, I will be getting a 180 day Tourist Visa before departing.  I was told by a retreat, you could renew this Visa for another 180 days?  Nothing Online indicates this Visa can be extended. ?

The longest tourist visa stay I have heard of is 90 days original and then 180 day extention for 270 total, then at day 366 the  whole process can start over, so you need to be out of Ecuador for at least 96 days.  Do not believe online book store income would count towards the required $800 month.

Allayne, they are strict about the minimum requirements for each classification of Visa. If you cannot come up with $25,000 for the CD for the 9-II Investor Visa, perhaps you have a Bachelor Degree. With that, you could go for the 9-V Professional Visa. The listing of approve US schools is here. This is the web site of the Secretaría de Educación.

The 12-X (Tourism... the 12-IX is for Commercial Activities) can only be used once during a "sliding" 12 month year and cannot be renewed. Example, you could enter on 12-X on 1 January, stay 180 days (approximately until the end of June), but then you could not re-enter for 12 months from the date of your first entry... you'd have to wait until the following January. The fee for the 12-X is $30

The requirements for both non-immigrant and immigrant visas can be found here. This is the web site of the  Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores y Movilidad Humana.

mugtech, you might want to check your length of stay information. From the Ministerio de Relaciones (who oversees visas)... "Visa Validity:  Minimum ninety days, maximum one hundred and eighty days in each period of twelve months (not a calendar year), counting from the date of arrival to Ecuador." I don't think you get a 180 day "extension", you get 180 days total.

symo

rsymington wrote:

mugtech, you might want to check your length of stay information. From the Ministerio de Relaciones (who oversees visas)... "Visa Validity:  Minimum ninety days, maximum one hundred and eighty days in each period of twelve months (not a calendar year), counting from the date of arrival to Ecuador." I don't think you get a 180 day "extension", you get 180 days total.

symo

I believe Cccmedia had made that statement on another thread, perhaps I misunderstood.

x
Thank You all for your Replies with first hand knowledge.!  Much appreciated 

There has to be a way!  $25 can't stop me from getting a "piece of paradise"

No degrees, unless you call a bachelors for the first year of law school, unaccredited.

I will figure it out and make it work. 

When are the expats having any get togethers in Cuenca?

mugtech wrote:

The longest tourist visa stay I have heard of is 90 days original and then 180 day extension for 270 total, then at day 366 the  whole process can start over, so you need to be out of Ecuador for at least 96 days.

Symo challenged this timeline, but mugtech's 90/180 timeline is correct.

Technically, the 90 days granted on arrival to citizens of the U.S., Canada and many other countries is a passport tourist stamp, obtained at no charge at the airport in Quito or Guayaquil. 

Scenario 1:  If you obtain a 180-day tourist visa before leaving the U.S., you are limited to that time frame unless you acquire residency status in Ecuador.

Scenario 2:  If you arrive as a U.S. tourist without this non-immigrant visa, you are entitled to 90 days in La República at the outset.  While already in Ecuador, you may then apply for a 180-day non-immigrant extension visa, giving you a 270-day 'tourist' stay.  The Ministry has historically granted this extension to all comers who have entered Ecuador and conducted themselves within the law.

One-year stays are possible for non-immigrants via volunteering or student-status, such as studying Spanish with an accredited school for a year.  Contact saexplorers.org or another non-profit for information about volunteering opportunities.  Some legitimate companies arrange for volunteering for a fee.  See the Volunteering thread(s) for more information.

Link for Volunteering in Ecuador thread....

https://www.expat.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=518502

cccmedia in Quito

The Foreign Ministry has the authority to decide what qualifies as dependable or pension-type income, but we've gotten no reports that they ever allow anything less than $800 per month plus $100 additional per dependent.

Money from the son or book sales would not count, as it's not considered reliable by the authorities.  Same with anyone's rental income.

Reliable income could be from a public or private pension .. Social Security .. an annuity .. an inheritance that has monthly or quarterly payments .. or some type of structured-payment program such as a disability settlement.

Although the Ministry has the power to make exceptions, you'd need strong paperwork showing reliability of income .. and the assistance of an experienced EC immigration attorney might be necessary.

cccmedia in Quito

e

Thank You! 

Thanks, for clarifying tourist visa with addition of 180 day extension. 

It makes more sense to enter as a tourist if you want to stay 270 days? 

   Allayne

Me thinks that is not correct 

The T-3 is not extendable. The 12-X would replace any time left on the T-3, but in no case, not less than the original 90-days allowed on the T-3.

Example. I enter on a T-3, go to my lawyer and say I want to extend via a 12-X. During the whole process of getting my new 12-X, time is ticking away on my T-3. Let's say 40 days passes, so my T-3 has 50 days left. My new 12-X would be valid for 140 days (90 days plus what my T-3 had remaining). This information came from my lawyer who has gotten me through any visa issues I've had. The maximum on a 12-X is 180 days, less what you used on the T-3.

Certainly not saying that my lawyer, or any other lawyer/facilitator/whatever really knows, but since I pay this guy money and all he does is immigration makes me "want to believe" him.

symo

Allayne, you have good questions on your post and cccmedia (and others) have given good answers and things to consider. I look at many countries on expat-blog.com and one big thing that Ecuador has going for it is their friendliness and high quality information from their advantaged perspective.

Though you seem determined to go it seems that they are recommending otherwise. Good luck and God be with you whichever way you go.

What I have learned, especially from the Ecuador expat-blog:

1) It's not THAT cheap to live in Ecuador. Reminds me of my younger days teaching in Cali, Colombia. One of my fellow teachers was living with a Colombian family with either dirt floors or dirty tile floors in a lower middle class barrio. That house probably was indicative of a slightly above average income there. If you want to have a room in a middle class Ecuadorian home, that might help save money and that family could teach you "the ropes".

2) It also sounds like if a person wants American products, services, eating out and standard of living the premium for these things will have a person right back up there.

3) Just recently saw Zenspikes notice of decision to return to the US. He seems like a great upbeat guy who had had enough though very capable himself.

4) Also I've read about the expat poor who don't have the money to make it back home once they are there.

From what I've read on the blogs though, these are the steps that I have made here in America.

1) Try living here like I would have to do there before I even go. For example, probably no car there so how do I like walking, riding buses or taxis.

2) Living simply in the US. My new routine is rest, pray, read, write and workout. Cheap activities. It could be even cheaper if I wasn't tempted to buy running shoes and bicycle accessories. While I'm still able to swim, ride, run and live cheaply, I'll probably be here. And then go to Ecuador in my seventies or eighties and start my second family or be adopted by one.

3) Renting a room with someone here in the US. This has worked out really well as God has brought some good people my way. Sometimes you can even do the housekeeping or other help for rent reduction. I saw one community where there was an agency that helped line up the needs of the owner with the needs of the renter. Craigslist can be used; yet, you want to be careful there too.

4) Small town America can be very cheap. Try city-data.com while researching. Apartment finders can also match senior and subsidized apartments.

5) Healthcare is an issue. Currently paying cash and trying to be healthy. If something major came up I would try taking a dental or medical "vacation" south of the border.

6) Being well educated and easy on others is a plus where ever one goes. I never realized how important this was until I came to realize the wider range of people that I can relate to in life. Glad I'm fluent in Spanish, with an interest in other languages and cultures.

Good luck with your decision. You might do well in Ecuador or where ever you land next.

Gracias Senor IT1 for your well thought out post……
As with most things in life, there are good, and bad considerations with decisions; and we need to weigh them for ourselves and decide…..and why it is important to visit here for most than a week or two so you can better decide…..
If I had only sic sec to live on, I would be here as it is possible to live much better for less……
Weather is another reason……..
But it is not for everybody……Ecuador is not the USSA…….not good, nor bad, just different…..
While it is easy to focus on things lacking in Ecuador that the USSA has, it is also true Ecuador has many things to offer the USSA lacks……decisions again……..
Vaya con Dios y viva Christo Rey