Professional Visa

Dear Durchin USA,

Welcome to the Ecuador forums of Expat.com ...

Ecuador immigration attorney Sara Chaca has been our foremost friend among attorneys in La República for making available in English the information on obtaining visas .. since the immigration law was changed two years ago.

For your question about professional visas -- and for other visa-applicant information -- Google Sara's write-up with the search words ecuadorvisas sara chaca best visa types for residency.  The information in Sara's write-up was posted earlier this year, 2018.

In particular, scroll down the list at Sara's blog to the article titled "Best 4 or 5 Visa Types For Residency."

  -- cccmedia

I'm here on a professional visa.  Other than the standard stuff you need for any temp. resident visa, you need the apost'd diploma and proof of monthly income.  Since I retired rather young, I don't have monthly income, but luckily I have a monthly payment that comes from a house I sold before moving here and that satisfied the gov't.  Don't remember how much per month was required or is required now.  Satisfied their requirement with bank statements (printed pdf's).

Edit: Oh, and you should check the Senescyt site to see if your college or university is listed because, if it isn't, that's a whole other headache.  Don't have the link anymore, but found it through google.

Hello,
I am now in the process of getting a professional visa.
What would you say are the steps you followed in order to get it? How long did it take?
Thanks in advance.

Took me quite a while (about six months total), though I started the process from outside Ecuador.  First step is getting your degree/diploma registered with Senescyt.  If your institution isn't in their database, that can be quite a process.  Once that's done, then it's "just" making the actual visa application (with all the associated documents, apostilles, notarized translations, etc.)  Any more details would be best given by an attorney.  I'm doing my permanent residency application right now and have had to consult one for ambiguous and also office specific rules/procedures.  Best of luck.

Thank you for your answer. Do you know whether I can have my degree registered online. I have not moved to Ecuador yet so I am trying to do most of the paperwork in England. Both universities I have studied are included in the list.
Regards.

Hi! I've been starting the process to get a Professional Visa. It seems like the final application needs to be submitted in Ecuador, but I have also read that I need proof of a return flight to enter Ecuador. Is the visa application sufficient to gain entry (along with a US passport)? Am I supposed to have applied before departing? Or should I book a return flight just in case? 
Thank you for the prior information!

I think no return flight needed but that is why I suggest help. What if you bring wrong documents, what if they are not apositled, what it the apositle page is not attached to underlying documents properly?

Ok! Thank you for your reply!

Ana19v wrote:

Thank you for your answer. Do you know whether I can have my degree registered online. I have not moved to Ecuador yet so I am trying to do most of the paperwork in England. Both universities I have studied are included in the list.
Regards.

Almost nothing in Ecuador can be done online... except, occasionally, paying (if you have an Ecuadorian bank account).

Little story: This Monday I went to the immigration office to submit my permanent residency application.  Turned out they required a document that wasn't listed as a requirement on their website (very common).  Who had the document? The government agent who told me I needed it.  I was told I needed to go to an internet cafe, type up a letter requesting the document, print it and come back to submit it to her.  Then in 15 days she will give the document to herself and I can make another 12 hour bus ride to her office to actually submit my application (assuming they don't invent any new requirements in the next 13 days).

All that to say: Unless you hire a local agent/attorney, you can't get nearly anything accomplished without being in the country and (usually) making multiple visits to whatever office you're dealing with.

As for time frame, I think it took about a month for senescyt to register my degree after the paperwork was submitted.

Edit: More information can be found here: http://servicios.senescyt.gob.ec/proces … tranjeros/

I like my service too. At first I was told that when I land in Guayaquil I needed to go to a certain police station for some paperwork and get there at 2.  The person was very concerned about my safety and I didn't know why. About a month later I understood why, I needed to get in line at 2 am and said I understand your concerns now. She said never mind, that is no longer required.

Hi there,

I am beginning the (daunting) process of applying for a professional visa here in Ecuador. My university is quite small (Agnes Scott College in Atlanta, GA) and it is not on the list. Do you have any tips on how to request that it be added?

Thank you for any guidance!
Katie

Hi,

For you professional visa, did you need a letter for Mode of Study?  I'm have the hardest time getting this.

Michael

Get a facilitator, please. For your own sanity. Check their references and history. Be sure they have an immigration lawyer on their team. They know where to go and can get appointments, some even drive you to the place. They are bilingual and can translate the apostilled documents when the time comes. Hard for me, but I had to learn to just shut up and do what was required. It costs a little money. It's aggravating and time consuming, In the end, ask yourself if it's worth it and if so, you're golden.

I got a letter an it mode of study from a good friend who was the head administrator for the college. I don't know how I could have gotten it thru "normal" means.  I told him what to put in the letter and he said he had never done this before.

antialiased wrote:

Little story: This Monday I went to the immigration office to submit my permanent residency application.  Turned out they required a document that wasn't listed as a requirement on their website (very common).  Who had the document? The government agent who told me I needed it.

lol sounds about right. I remember sorting my citizenship out and needed a print out from some office (police I think), but they refused and accused me of entering the country on multiple occasions with multiple passwords. Confused I asked them why they thought that, they said the system says so (this was about the time paper records were being digitised). Trying to explain to this person that the most likely reason was a problem with digitisation, perhaps sometimes including visa number, passport number or just a random number, but was met with the oft heard responses "system says no".

Solution. Waited 20 minutes for lunch break, this person left, dealt with someone else who said this worker often makes problems for little things, 5minutes later I had my form.

If your university is not listed that is a whole other headache....   Someone here said that.
So what do we do then?

The problems you can't foresee--frequent changes in the law, language subtleties, the need for apostilles, certified documents, locating the offices, and translations into Spanish. These will drive you crazy if you're trying to do the visa thing on your own. Disclosure: I don't own any stock or interest in the two companies here. But I have been working on getting moved to Ecuador for a year now, and these two lawyers have a good reputation among expats.

I've contracted with "Gringo Visas" because a fellow who owns a restaurant in Vilcabamba recommended them. He said that they assisted him step-by-step through the process and drove him to the right office when his appointment came up. They have a lawyer on their staff, and help with the translations. Maite Duran is the "facilitator"s name.

Another one with a really good reputation among expats is Sara Chaca @ "Ecuador Visas." She's a lawyer and has published a lot of articles on the visa process. Either one of these women are capable of getting the job done, saving you from attempting suicide or homicide.

Look them up online and send an email. Best wishes, and good luck on your process of immigration to Ecuador.

Emigrayo68 (Buster)

Dear all,

What document do you present as the "letter of mode of study"?  asked my university (University of Alabama) if they can provide a letter stating that I did an in-person degree, but they replied that they do not hand such document. The only documents they provide with Apostille certification are the Diploma and transcripts. I contacted Senecyt to ask what do they mean by this "Documento que permita verificar la modalidad de estudio"  and they were not helpful at all...

slalmeyda wrote:

What document do you present as the "letter of mode of study"?  asked my university (University of Alabama) if they can provide a letter stating that I did an in-person degree, but they replied that they do not hand such document. The only documents they provide with Apostille certification are the Diploma and transcripts. I contacted Senecyt to ask what do they mean by this "Documento que permita verificar la modalidad de estudio"  and they were not helpful at all...

Dear slalmeyda in Peru,

Welcome to the Ecuador forums of expat.com ...

The following is based on my presumption that you are seeking Ecuador's approval for the purpose of a visa.

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You're a prime candidate for assistance from a visa specialist.  You may not need to employ an immigration attorney, which would be more expensive, provided that your case is simple.

Easy to google at visa specialist ecuador, these folks deal with issues such as yours every day .. and are more reliable than most laymen Expats on this forum in answering such questions as...

-- Is University of Alabama on the list of approved colleges and universities on the Senecyt list?

-- What document/s are required and where does such need to be translated?

-- If Bama is not on the list, how can a graduate get approved for a visa?

A resource in your case is the Ecuadorian embassy in Lima.

cccmedia

I went to VA Tech, they offered the letter no problem. I'm not sure what you do, buts a common thing. Maybe speak with another.

Thanks for your response! The maybe it's a language issue and I'm asking the wrong way with a poor translation. Could you share what did you ask your Uní? I mean, what is the name of this document in English? Did you receive a document with an apostille certification?
Thanks!

I scanned the document for you that I recieved from my university.  But can't seem to attach it here. Feel free to email me and I will send it to you.
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