My name is Angel and I am 44 years old

What is your source of income?  It does not appear you or your husband would qualify for any type of perm Res visa except an investment visa requiring a $26,000 investment.  Does anyone speak Spanish?  Have you ever been to Ecuador?  Sounds like you need to do a lot of research.

I am yet to encounter any place in Ecuador that was wheelchair friendly.

The investment visa to which mugtech referred and the pensioner visa are extremely popular among U.S. Expats in Ecuador.

You and your husband (as dependent) might qualify for the pensioner visa if you get a government income of at least $900 a month due to your disability.  Add another $100 per month to that minimum if your son is also a dependent per your pensioner-visa application.

If your family chooses the right location -- probably Quito or Cuenca -- and promotes it well, there could be a market especially during U.S. tax season for a CPA's services.  Some Expats might prefer to have a local accountant they could meet with personally in Ecuador rather than use distant services based in the U.S. 

You might be wise to query about the visa ramifications of such a plan for your son, with an experienced EC attorney.  For instance in Quito, Sebastian Cordero.  scordero(at)gcabogados.com

cccmedia in Quito

jessekimmerling wrote:

I am yet to encounter any place in Ecuador that was wheelchair friendly.

Jesse has a good point.

When you visit -- and you pretty much must visit Ecuador before moving here -- seriously look into the Expat-friendly Mariscal Sucre sector of Quito.  There's a lot of level ground there.  Some residential buildings have elevators.  Just avoid directly re-locating onto a 'smokey' bus route.

At my condo complex in Centro Histórico, it's actually possible to enter the building and get to my hallway on the third floor without encountering a single step if you know the right elevator to take.  However, the streets around here are on inclines, and the hilly nature of my sector and many others might mean you would be restricted as to where to live in Quito.

Also, the buses and many bus stations are not equipped or suitable for a wheelchair passenger.  The good news is that taxis are cheap and readily available in Mariscal.

cccmedia in Quito

cccmedia wrote:

The investment visa to which mugtech referred and the pensioner visa are extremely popular among U.S. Expats in Ecuador.

You and your husband (as dependent) might qualify for the pensioner visa if you get a government income of at least $900 a month due to your disability.  Add another $100 per month to that minimum if your son is also a dependent per your pensioner-visa application.

If your family chooses the right location -- probably Quito or Cuenca -- and promotes it well, there could be a market especially during U.S. tax season for a CPA's services.  Some Expats might prefer to have a local accountant they could meet with personally in Ecuador rather than use distant services based in the U.S. 

You might be wise to query about the visa ramifications of such a plan for your son, with an experienced EC attorney.  For instance in Quito, Sebastian Cordero.  scordero(at)gcabogados.com

cccmedia in Quito

It would be difficult for a wet behind the ears accountant with little or no international tax experience to create a book of clients in Cuenca, where there are already seasoned tax preparers.  There would be computer and software startup and continuing costs, plus many economic refugees have simple or even unrequired tax returns.

That's not good!   (Ecuador not wheelchair friendly) Surely, there are people in Ecuador that use wheelchairs. What do they do?

He doesn't specialize as a tax accountant. He deals with invoices, putting stuff in the computer and payroll right now. He is going to school full-time and working full-time in the corporate office for Goodwill of America. Started at an internship and then they offered him a job. I wonder if there would be any jobs dealing with sort of stuff. He doesn't care too much about the money (within reason) He said he likes to work mostly by himself and with numbers.

I also have a walker for stairs or curbs Would that help? My problem is with balance not strength. I am considering actually living in Ricaurte but being real close to Cuenca. Can you rent houses not apartments?

Well, we would not be going for a few years and my son knows some Spanish and I remember a little, but we have got stuff from Amazon in order to learn it as of we had never had it. It means the beginning is going pretty quick. We bought 1000 Spanish flash cards and Pimsleur's beginning Spanish so far.  I hope to be proficient by the time we would go. Talked to my husband tonight about it. He just doesn't believe you can get by for a month on $800-$900. And I get quite a bit more than that per month.

Angel2018 wrote:

He just doesn't believe you can get by for a month on $800-$900. And I get quite a bit more than that per month.

I don't live in Ecuador, haven't for many years, so I will let others comment about the costs (which should be moved to a new thread since this is for intros of new members, and which using the search box, you can find many discussions about costs).  But I will give you these links, you can practice your Spanish, it gives some average costs for apartments (and of course you can pay less, or more) and minimum salaries.  Most native Ecuadorians in Ecuador do get by on $800-$900 and mostly less.

http://preciosmundi.com/ecuador/precio- … a-salarioshttp://www.trabajo.gob.ec/el-salario-ba … 4-dolares/

Angel2018 wrote:

He doesn't specialize as a tax accountant. He deals with invoices, putting stuff in the computer and payroll right now. He is going to school full-time and working full-time in the corporate office for Goodwill of America. Started at an internship and then they offered him a job. I wonder if there would be any jobs dealing with sort of stuff. He doesn't care too much about the money (within reason) He said he likes to work mostly by himself and with numbers.

So he is more of a bookkeeper than an accountant.  Don't think he can get a job Ecuador doing book work by himself, such a job would go to a native citizen.

Sorry and thank you (lo silent y gracias) I hope I said that right

Should he gear his studies differently? I am sure he studies it all since his degree will be accounting, but that is his job now. Thank you for the help.

I have lived on $300 per month in Ecuador for extended periods of time. But... and it's a big but, I didn't pay rent (I owned my home), I had no medical issues, I was in a very small coastal town, and I lived like a dirty hippie. I found it cheaper to eat at a local dive for $2.50 per very filling meal than to cook at home. My electricity was $10 per month. For entertainment I would drink dirt cheap aguardiente and stagger around the beach. Most people aren't interested in living like this.

I think being in a wheelchair is more of an issue than money...why Ecuador

Wish staggering around drunk was still that entertaining for me

suefrankdahl wrote:

I think being in a wheelchair is more of an issue than money...why Ecuador

Wish staggering around drunk was still that entertaining for me

It was more of a way to decompress after Afghanistan than drunken entertainment. Nothing like waking up dehydrated and hung over under the Ecuadorian sun on a lonely north coast beach to snap one back to reality. I'm lucky I wasn't eaten by crabs.

Angel2018 wrote:

Should he gear his studies differently? I am sure he studies it all since his degree will be accounting....

The considerations mugtech mentioned are valid -- startup costs, specialized knowledge that a typical newby accountant might not normally have, the existence of experienced tax preparers in Cuenca.

Your son would need to direct his studies/preparation toward assisting Expats in fulfilling their tax obligations in the U.S.  Quito, which has a smaller percentage of Expats than Cuenca, still looks like the better venue for an arriving CPA.

Studying Spanish during the next two years might be an additional focus for him, especially since the Cancillería may require him to pass a Spanish-language accounting test if he seeks a professional-class residency visa.

cccmedia in Quito

Angel2018 wrote:

my husband ... doesn't believe you can get by for a month on $800-$900. And I get quite a bit more than that per month.

Those numbers are EC government-ministry minimums for Expat pensioners, and do not necessarily reflect actual costs of living.

So your husband may be right.

Still, if you are receiving more than that as you say, you may be fine.

A couple could live comfortably on about $1,500 per month in most EC cities, although Cuenca costs have been rising faster than most places in La República.  And that figure does not take into account medical needs, travel, unanticipated special expenses, nor startup costs, for instance, furnishing an apartment.

cccmedia in Quito

I have lived in Cuenca for two years, and have maybe seen 4 or 5 wheelchairs in all that time.  The city is not suitable for anyone with a mobility handicap.  I have only seen one elderly woman with a walker, and was coming out of church with her son on one side and husband on the other to help her over the cobblestones.

I came with a broken ankle and was on crutches the first 6 weeks.  Even crutches meant that I was essentially housebound that entire time.  I don't think I have seen more than 3 or 4 crutches in town in our two years either.

Reality check,

Before you get all excited and start making life changes etc. It would seriously behoove you to come to Ecuador for a visit FIRST.

As pointed out, Ecuador is not close to the U.S. as far as handicapped/handicapable services. Yes, there are wheel chairs and all manner of handicapped people here but, the going is not easy for them. The only thing I have seen so far is some/few, parking spaces and a few ramps. It is not a good picture especially when they advertise treating special needs people with dignity on television.

Unless you are on the coast, which has it's own challenges you will be in the mountains. mountains means many hills, high altitudes etc. If you have any issues with weakness or respiratory problems, you will be taxed. Most buildings 5 floors or less have no elevators.

Any thought of employment without fluent Spanish is not going to happen. Yes, you could cater to Expats only but that would be limited, and I would not rely on it for sole support. While a family can live a decent life here it is not as inexpensive as some advertisements make it sound. Like anywhere you must live within your means. The hard part for some is establishing that point. 

I don't mean to be a "Buzz Kill", but life in the U.S. and life in Ecuador can be night and day, for some people. It is well worth the expense and time to come down for a visit, look around and get some answers for yourself as seen through your eyes. Then you can make decisions based on solid information. You sound like good people, and it would be unfortunate to hear down the road that you had major issues after relocation. There are many folks who make it to the two year mark and head back to the U.S. It turns out that things were not as they had envisioned, to much change of culture, or they can't handle the separation from other family members.   

There are many things to take into consideration, first and foremost, as stated above if you don't fall into a visa category to stay, then you are spinning your wheels for nothing. Between this site and the consulate web site you should be able to determine the basics.

Good luck

Professional services in Ecuador are much different than in the USA!  Additinally, wages are generally very low, so I don't know that your son would be happy here. Ecuador is wheelchair friendly, surprisingly so.

SAEQuito wrote:

Professional services in Ecuador are much different than in the USA!  Additinally, wages are generally very low, so I don't know that your son would be happy here. Ecuador is wheelchair friendly, surprisingly so.

Welcome to the Expat.com Ecuador forum, SAEQuito.

It's my understanding that your clubhouse location has changed from the Jorge Washington sede listed in your profile, to Mariana de Jesús y Ulloa.

cccmedia in Quito

An accounting degree teaches financial accounting, cost accounting, audit principles and a lot of periphery in economic, business and finance.  Certainly some exposure can be gained in tax laws, but your son (career-wise) would do far better to try and find employment in the U.S. at a CPA firm specializing in tax work for at least 5 years.  I cannot imagine he'd offer as much value as any non-CPA, non-degreed tax return preparer having a basic knowledge of Turbo Tax and how to research topics on the IRS website.

jessekimmerling wrote:

I am yet to encounter any place in Ecuador that was wheelchair friendly.

Yeah, they don't roll so well in the sand anyway!

Angel2018 wrote:

He doesn't specialize as a tax accountant. He deals with invoices, putting stuff in the computer and payroll right now. He is going to school full-time and working full-time in the corporate office for Goodwill of America. Started at an internship and then they offered him a job. I wonder if there would be any jobs dealing with sort of stuff. He doesn't care too much about the money (within reason) He said he likes to work mostly by himself and with numbers.

Assuming an offer of employment from a Ecuadoran employer (required for a work visa I believe), the likely salary will be low compared to U.S. standards.  Think along the lines of 25% to 30% +/-.  What makes Ecuador an excellent place for economic refugees to live in retirement makes it a horrible place to earn a living.

While out and about I have come across ramps. But they did not seem for the purpose of wheel chairs. It was pretty random. Surprisingly at a couple of hospitals I noticed it was hit or miss as well, which is kinda strange.

I have not seen many people using chairs, I am sure there are plenty. The ones I often do see are at intersections in the street, unfortunately. I have seen Government media spots on television, talking about treaty the handicapped with dignity etc. Which struck me as odd since you see no real support as you would encounter in the U.S. or other places.

Then again maybe I just have not payed close attention. Having to get around Quito in a wheel chair would be a challenge, to say the least. On the coast or smaller towns I can't see it being very easy at all.

SawMan's right on target,

It's good that people ask these kinds of questions here, in lieu of when they get here.

I'm sure many folks, as I once did, think starting a business or landing a good job in a smaller country would be easy, coming from say the U.S.  Then to get here and find it is anything but, easy.

The laws here for hiring employees protects the people, which I agree with. Starting a business here is no easy task either. So as it has been pointed out earlier, Ecuador, for Expats is geared for the retired. Definitely not the best choice for a family in which both parents need employment, for a variety of reasons.

Not that it could not be done, with enough motivation and dedication almost anything is possible. Some places are more suitable for success than others.

I am of the opinion that Ecuador is a great place to start a business. It's not a sue happy society, like the US. Labor laws are strict, but wages are low and profit margins for many industries are huge. There is a reason so many Ecuadorians run small businesses rather than punching a time clock.

JK,

I am going on what little I know about it, and have been told. If your experiences show that it is not so bad, then that's good with me. I may have some questions for you on the subject in the near future.

One thing is for sure, you are way right about the "Sue" happy environment in the U.S.

The pro-labor laws (confessing I am much more familiar with Panama) trip up a lot of expats hiring employees due to pension, holiday, "13th month" payment and similar vested benefits and required contributions.  Definitely an important compliance area for employers.

jessekimmerling wrote:

I am of the opinion that Ecuador is a great place to start a business. It's not a sue happy society, like the US. Labor laws are strict, but wages are low and profit margins for many industries are huge. There is a reason so many Ecuadorians run small businesses rather than punching a time clock.

I bow to your superior knowledge JK, but your statement that low wages is the reason so many Ecuadorians start their own business would not apply to an expat coming to Ecuador.  Example:  an experienced, licensed journeyman electrician in the U.S. likely makes between $26 and $32 an hour working for a contractor.  Obviously, less experienced helpers and apprentices make half that amount.  An experienced Ecuadorian electrician building a high rise in Salinas or Quito might make around $750 a month, right?  $800?  Say, it's even as much as $1,000 a month. So, while a local can duplicate this salary and possibly do better working for himself or herself, don't you think that a U.S. electrician (ignoring work restrictions and other barriers), in my example, would not likely be able to come close to replacing his or her U.S. monthly salary of, say, $4,500 to $5,000 a month?  Just saying that expats generally cannot expect to come down and duplicate their income working in their profession and that the difference in pay would be hard to offset by lower costs of living, which I think are principally in the cost of housing.  Just my thoughts, which I'd appreciate hearing from you and others on.

SawMan,

Anything is certainly possible, 

Depending on ones situation, an Expat could equal a U.S. salary, but it work take considerable work. There are of course proficient local electricians here, but there is also a great deal of competition. To work for a local company, for an Expat is not easy, as they prefer locals for jobs.

An Expat in a field like electrical, plumbing, HVAC etc. could do well provided they spoke very good Spanish. My wife has one Uncle who is an Architect and another who is an Engineer. On a few occasions I have helped with some residential and commercial electrical work. They main issue I saw is that they do things differently here.

As a person who is used to complying with various codes, in the U.S. It was a bit of shock to see how they build various circuits. Yes, they do have their own codes here, but lack the enforcement, which means the final outcome is not quite as planned. My first thought was, that it is a good thing that most homes are concrete. I came across many overloaded circuits, with un suitable conductor (Wire) sizes.

Some contractors they hire are better than others. I was asked to work with one of the preferred electricians in circuit design as done in the U.S. Even though my Spanish was not up to par we could communicate through common electrical symbols etc. He was reluctant to do things as I layed out, mainly I think because of the materials. My way by U.S. code, would cost more, but be more reliable and safer.

An apartment we lived in required a 220 vac hookup for the dryer. The owner sent what she called an "Electrician". I watched in horror as he combined two 115 vac circuits using a ground wire 4 sizes too small, on an overloaded circuit. I politely stopped him and asked him to leave. Luckily our unit had its own breaker panel. After a solid hour of tracing wires, which were "ALL" the same color throughout the entire house. I verified each lighting circuit etc. Then headed to Kywi to get the correct size breakers and conductor (wire). I re-wired the entire box, replacing the overloaded circuits and installing GFCIs in all bathrooms and kitchen. A Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter is a normal wall outlet with a protective trip function, to open the circuit in the event of a short by water etc. You rarely see them used here.

I think many Ecuadorians have their own businesses for the same reasons everyone else does. They want to be their own boss, and not at the mercy of a company. I admit there is a fair amount of corruption involved in business, I have seen several tenable situations solved with the exchange of money. Right or wrong, that's how it is.

People here respond well to most businesses run by Expats. I have been told that Expat businesses are run better, offer better service, and are far more reliable. If this is used to your advantage, and followed through, I think you could do pretty well. The thing is, most Expats do not come here to work.   

I once asked my wife, why customer service is so poor here? She said that's just the way many Ecuadorians are, and that this was why vendors from Brasil and Columbia are successful. They seem to be in tune with the fact that good customer service = more money.

In the USA, being self employed means working much more than 40 hours a week, but many self employed tell me they rather work 60 hours for themselves than 40 hours for someone else.  The complications come when they grow enough to start hiring employees and get bogged down in all the extra paperwork and funding of taxes and benefits, extra insurance etc.  Can't imagine that is any different in Ecuador.

mugtech,

You are correct,

Even here, a business owner will work in excess of 40 hours a week. When employees are added to the mix, it is just as taxing here as the U.S. can be. There are extra paydays throughout the year for various things. Then, if you fire an employee, you are required to pay 3 months wages.

So as with anywhere, running a business on your own is no easy task. But, if done right can be very rewarding. I have taken on several small time gigs over the years, but always kept to the "One Man Band" act. I guess I never had the nerve to go all in, not yet anyway.

Hi Angel:  living in Ecuador takes an awful lot of adjusting. I came about 2 years ago, to retire here. It was extremely difficult to get a Visa to stay here permanently. It is also Not at all easy to learn Spanish, and I speak, read and write three languages already, but Spanish has me befuddled. I have learnt enough to get by on a daily basis, but I pay no attention to any grammatical errors. I am now 70 years "young" and I live in Ambato, where I like it. It is near Quito at about 8,000 ft. up in the air. That is another thing to get used to. If you prefer to live near a beach, you might want to check out the tropical climate. It gets extremely hot and without air-condition it is unbearable. Then there is the Rainy Season, lasting anywhere from 4 to 6 mos., depending on where you live. From what I have heard, most Americans settle in Cuenca, and it is usually for retirement purposes. I have read various comments about Cuenca, and from the sound of it, a young person would die of boredom. There is a universal health insurance, into which I am now paying $73 a mo. It covers doctor's visits [those who agreed to take in IESS patients], certain hospitals and some dental expenses. Not the greatest, but good enough. I checked out other insurance companies [located in the States for ex-pats] and they were NOT in my price-range at over $350 a mo.  I am a Canadian, and my dollars are way down these days, so I am just trying to survive. Rent and food are the most affordable items, as well as utilities.  Degrees and diplomas from other countries are Not accepted, so fluent Spanish is a must to pass the equivalence tests.  I hope this little bit of info was helpful. I came for a visit first, stayed 10 days, and liked it well enough. Ready for change and a little adventure in my life, and I sure found that. LOL    Kind regards.

AmberFenton wrote:

Degrees and diplomas from other countries are Not accepted, so fluent Spanish is a must to pass the equivalence tests.

Naturally, an Expat electrician or an attorney needs to know Spanish to pass the EC equivalent of an electrician's certification exam or a bar exam.

However, the Ministry does accept diplomas from hundreds of colleges and universities worldwide for the purpose of applying for a professional residency-visa.

cccmedia in Quito

AmberFenton wrote:

I have read various comments about Cuenca, and from the sound of it, a young person would die of boredom.

Cuenca has the busiest Expat calendar of any city in Ecuador.  To see what's happening in the Expat community there, visit the GringoTree, GringoPost and Cuenca Highlife websites.

cccmedia in Quito