Al & I Do Not Agree with MikeGB About Whether U Need to Hire Visa Help

I believe MikeGB, a Canadian in Cuenca, when he tells us he obtained an EC residency visa without hiring an attorney or a visa facilitator.

In fact, I applaud him for having the smarts, wits and patience to navigate through the bureaucracy and get an excellent result.

However, I don't agree with Mike that arriving Expats should go the same way he did and try to do it on their own.

For most visa applicants, even if they know some Spanish, the legal terminology involved in immigration is daunting.  Something usually goes sideways during the process, resulting in delays and frustration.

In my case, it was when the U.S. State Department unaccountably denied me an apostille for my FBI background check the first time I applied for it. This meant I had failed to meet the deadline for submitting the visa application, and my T-3 tourist stamp could not be renewed. 

Fortunately, my attorney knew how to get a rare 45-day visa, buying me the time necessary to get the apostille, enabling me to stay in-country and submit my visa application when the U.S. document arrived.

Mike's fellow Canadian and Cuenca resident, Al Bourassa -- an award-winning EC photographer and blogger -- has this take:

"The country (Ecuador) is beautiful, and at first, everything is quirky, quaint and cute.

"But in the end, you just tire of the ridiculous BS you have to endure to do the simplest things.  The complete stupidity...is mind-numbing.

"Trying to get anything done in Ecuador is a recurring nightmare. Locals never tell you everything you need to know the first time.

"Trying to go through the immigration process...would test the patience of Job.  Be prepared to lose half your hair in frustration.

"Using intermediaries is the only way to remain sane."

(from Al's blog at cuencaresidency.blogspot.com)