Pakistanis living in Dubai thinking to move to Ecuador get connected!!

Anyone?????

Hi, I m living In abu dhabi ,I am looking for immigration to ?, my first priority is paraguay and I want to know the process to move to Ecuador since I heard first time about it, please drop your nunber so that I can call you.

Thanks

arsheed wrote:

I'm living In abu dhabi, I am looking for immigration to ?, my first priority is paraguay and I want to know the process to move to Ecuador...please drop your nunber so that I can call you.

Nice steed, 'Sheed.

How about this...instead of trying to get details on a complicated process via international phone call, visit the Visa Information page posted by the government of Ecuador:  cancilleria.gob.ec ....
English language option is now available.

Let us know why Paraguay is your first choice when Ecuador is consistently voted and chosen as best country for Expats.

cccmedia, Quito

arsheed wrote:

I'm living In abu dhabi, I am looking for immigration to ?, my first priority is paraguay.

'Sheed also posted on the expat-blog Paraguay forum that his online research indicated that Paraguay is the easiest country in the region in which to become an Expat. 

Ecuador is not difficult if you have a competent, experienced attorney or non-attorney visa specialist and you have the required documents.

'Sheed also (via PM) asked what is the "easiest" route to a visa in Ecuador.

The answer to that depends on your situation.  You can buy property at 25K or up, invest that amount in a CD, enter the country as a "professional," or get a visa based on various other scenarios.
If you haven't visited the cancilliera.gob.ec website, go there and you should have a better idea of what's right for you and your family.

As for your interest in whether you can be outside Ecuador during the visa process, that may be possible but perhaps not advisable.  El gobierno can change the rules at any time, require you to be present at some office or need some signature or document.  Check with your specialist on your situation before straying too far.

cccmedia, Quito

Thanks cccmedia for  your exceptional support , the problem is we are already settled in UAE , it be be difficult for a moment to leave everything and run to Ecuador, investment is not  an issue , could you please recommend me some specialists who can guide me in much better way before starting the process. Indian can obtain visit visa on arrival to Ecuador , I can come any time to sign and finish the paper work but my questions remains ,can  I stay outside country during the process and how long it wil take to get the passports.

arsheed wrote:

I can come any time to sign and finish the paper work but my questions remains ,can  I stay outside country during the process and how long it wil take to get the passports.

I do believe you mean how long will it take to get a visa, you would need to become a citizen to get an Ecuador passport.  Why is it so important to stay out of Ecuador while waiting for the visa?  What are you going to do after you receive the visa?  Do you intend to work in Ecuador?  Are you going to invest $25,000 to get an investment visa?

Certain documents are needed ... ie birth certificate, police report, prof of income, marriage certificate, etc.. All must be translated into Spanish in front of a notary. Then the notarized, translated documents must be sent the Secretary of State in the state or country of origin. The Secretary of State then approves them with an 'apostate' seal of some sort.

I have two Ecuadorian Consulates near me in Texas, USA but they are slow to respond and do not answer all me questions. I am about to send an email to their Embassy in Washington, DC.

Good luck.

Abu Sean

I will prefer to  invest $25,000 or more in order to get an investment visa, after getting the ecuador visa I can move back to the country of origin , it's important for me to continue my job and business here in UAE  , I can't just quit  from here and jump to eduador, after attesting and proving the all documents how long it will take to get the citizenship, is there anyway I can stay out of ecuador and claim my citizenship? Can anyone of you recommend some specialists.

I am happy that my threading is running!!! more replies indeed .. any Pakistani apply for Ecuador? as there is no Ecuador embassy in Pakistan and UAE and we need a tourist visa to visit Ecuador and the Ecuador embassy which deals Pakistanis is Ecuador embassy india.. but India is not giving visas to Pakistanis so easily so investment is not an issue main concern is to visit Ecuador embassy in india physically to get our tourist visa!!!!

I also sent email to Ecuador embassy in Qatar as that is near to UAE and they must help us as we are in UAE since 9 years and embassies should consider the residency not nationality as we are here not in Pakistan and from here Qatar is more near!!

arsheed wrote:

I will prefer to  invest $25,000 or more in order to get an investment visa, after getting the ecuador visa I can move back to the country of origin , it's important for me to continue my job and business here in UAE  , I can't just quit  from here and jump to eduador, after attesting and proving the all documents how long it will take to get the citizenship, is there anyway I can stay out of ecuador and claim my citizenship? Can anyone of you recommend some specialists.

I do believe you can only spend 90 days a year for the first two years OUT of Ecuador.  I do believe you will need to live at least 3 years in Ecuador to become a citizen.  I am not sure how proficient you must be in Spanish for citizenship.  Why do you want to be a citizen of a country in which you do not intend to live?  Sounds nefarious.

mugtech wrote:

arsheed wrote:

I will prefer to  invest $25,000 or more in order to get an investment visa, after getting the ecuador visa I can move back to the country of origin , it's important for me to continue my job and business here in UAE  , I can't just quit  from here and jump to eduador, after attesting and proving the all documents how long it will take to get the citizenship, is there anyway I can stay out of ecuador and claim my citizenship? Can anyone of you recommend some specialists.

I do believe you can only spend 90 days a year for the first two years OUT of Ecuador.  I do believe you will need to live at least 3 years in Ecuador to become a citizen.  I am not sure how proficient you must be in Spanish for citizenship.  Why do you want to be a citizen of a country in which you do not intend to live?  Sounds nefarious.

For me i want to live there as i love Ecuador weather and cheap cost of living!!! i can go with the Investor visa the only issue there is no Ecuador embassy in UAE and Pakistan and nearest one in Qatar and they want us to go india. and being Pakistanis its very hard for us to get Indian visa and to physically present at ecuadorian embassy India!!!

mugtech wrote:

I do believe you mean how long will it take to get a visa, you would need to become a citizen to get an Ecuador passport.  Why is it so important to stay out of Ecuador while waiting for the visa?  What are you going to do after you receive the visa?  Do you intend to work in Ecuador?  Are you going to invest $25,000 to get an investment visa?

It does sound a bit strange ... doesn't it?  I don't think he realizes that he can't come and get residency status and then go back to the UAE, no matter how much he "invests" in Ecuador.

The rules are there for a reason ... you MUST live in Ecuador for 9 months out of the year to obtain residency.  There are no exceptions.

arsheed wrote:

Thanks cccmedia for  your exceptional support , the problem is we are already settled in UAE , it be be difficult for a moment to leave everything and run to Ecuador, investment is not  an issue , could you please recommend me some specialists who can guide me in much better way before starting the process. Indian can obtain visit visa on arrival to Ecuador , I can come any time to sign and finish the paper work but my questions remains ,can  I stay outside country during the process and how long it wil take to get the passports.

I highly recommend that you work with attorney Sebastian Cordero here in Quito.

He is an expert in all the visa regulations and procedures.  He flawlessly took me through the visa process, resulting in my obtaining my real estate investment visa this year.  His fee also included obtaining my Ecuadorian ID card, the cedula (SEDD-oo-lah), which enables one to access IESS medical insurance and eventually the senior benefits package of discounts and preferential considerations.

When I had question(s) about preparing my paperwork, I emailed him before leaving the U.S. and he responded via email before I even paid any part of his fee.  He was always prompt and prepared.  He kept the visa process moving forward without my ever feeling I was being pushed.  He always knew the next step in the process and how to proceed.

Sebastian's email address is [email protected]

His office is near the Quicentro Shopping area.  Telephone 02 2447551
or 2447565.

He can guide you in terms of the logistics of Indian coming first to initiate the paperwork.  He can also answer your questions about being outside of Ecuador at certain times, and how long the process may take.

Joanne wrote:

"I don't think (Arsheed) realizes that he can't come and get residency status and then go back to the UAE, no matter how much he "invests" in Ecuador.

"The rules are there for a reason ... you MUST live in Ecuador for 9 months out of the year to obtain residency.  There are no exceptions."

Joanne and Mugtech are 100 percent correct, 'Sheed, about the 90-day rule.  Under the current system, however, after the first two years you may be outside of Ecuador for up to 18 months at a time and still retain your EC visa.

Another poster tried to tell you which documents to bring, including "prof (sic) of income."  Proof of income is not required for investor-visa status.  However (and I know this is not your situation), it is required for a pensioner visa that does not require investment.

The point is that in terms of specific documents you need, you should get that list from your specialist or attorney only.  A well-meaning Expat poster may tell you the documents he truly thinks are necessary, but the attorney will know of any changes in rules or procedures and will tailor the documents list to your specific situation.

Thanks cccmedia

Thanks Joanne, I would love to stay and settle in Ecuador.But question here is what to do in eduador ? Job ? Business? What about earning ? I feel better is to earn  from here and invest in eduador ,i am already living In  a country which is more advance and  world's fifth safest country and I would love to work here till my retirement, after retirement  I want to settle in a peaceful and beautiful country like eduador. To attract the good immigrants definitely there  will be some rules set by government .Some exceptions are always acceptable , anyway thanks very much for all if your support and guidance .

For my own purposes as an EC resident-visa holder, I have done some more research on the issue of how many months one may leave the country without losing the residency visa.

ecuassist.com, an Expat site, has done a detailed analysis of the issue and concluded that there is some room for interpretation in the matter.

Their analysis concludes that the conservative approach is to understand the rules this way for residency-visa holders desiring to retain their visas:

You may leave EC for up to 90 days during your first 365 days with visa.

You may leave EC for up to 90 additional days during your second 365 days.

You may be out of the country for up to 18 months during your first five years with visa.  This includes any time away during years 1 and 2. 

So if you were outside EC for the maximum 180 days (let's call it six months to simplify) during the first two years, you could still be away for another 12 months total during years 3, 4 and 5.

That's a lovely thought Arsheed, but unfortunately not the reality of the law. A friend of mine from Canada just lost her investor's visa in Ecuador because she has been out of the country (Ecuador) too long. She had lived in Ecuador for over 6 years, and still owns property in Cuenca.  She is appealing their decision, but has had no success at this point.  They are insisting she reapply and start the residency process from the beginning.

Joanneinict,what about you ,are you a ecuador citizen? If I am planning to move permanently to ecuador what business or job I can start there since I m not familiar with the place and no idea about Spanish language, and why Ecuador is best place to choose ?

arsheed wrote:

Joanneinict,what about you ,are you a ecuador citizen? If I am planning to move permanently to ecuador what business or job I can start there since I m not familiar with the place and no idea about Spanish language, and why Ecuador is best place to choose ?

No, I'm not, yet. I hope to establish residency late next year, with the hope of citizenship by 2018.  I'm sure there are many businesses that Ecuadorian government would love to see started, and employ more of the population. It's not anything I have not investigated, as I will enter on a professional visa. Jobs for those without an excellent command of Spanish are few and far between, unless you cater specifically to the small (15-20K) primarily English speaking expat community. 

If you have not investigated Ecuador, past the weather and the "cheap cost of living," you need to do more research ... much, much more. If you want to work or start a business, you will not be able to do it without excellent Spanish.  Even living there will require a fairly good command of day-to-day Spanish.

Arsheed:

It seems like your big problem is the 90-day rule. I'll be facing the same thing (soon, I hope) -- I got my residency (pensionado visa) earlier this year and then almost immediately had to return to the US for medical reasons. I've been gone about five months.

My attorney thinks I can (with proper documentation from doctors) get the 90-day rule waived. You might discuss with him whether there is something that might justify a waiver for you. His name is Pedro Novillo, and his email is [email protected]. He did a good job for me, and his rates are reasonable.

Best wishes,
Bob

Thanks bobH, I will surely approach attorney Pedro for further discussion.

Bob writes: It seems like your big problem is the 90-day rule. I'll be facing the same thing (soon, I hope) -- I got my residency (pensionado visa) earlier this year and then almost immediately had to return to the US for medical reasons. I've been gone about five months.

The difference may be that you left for proven medical reasons, and you already had obtained residency.  Much different that Arsheed who seems to want to gain residency without ever having been a resident.

Joanneinict wrote:

The difference may be that you left for proven medical reasons, and you already had obtained residency.  Much different that Arsheed who seems to want to gain residency without ever having been a resident.

Absolutely right -- whether there might be a basis for Arsheed to get a waiver or not is something we don't know. A good attorney should know on what grounds waivers are granted, and what it takes to get one -- maybe medical is pretty much the only thing they give waivers for, but Arsheed won't know until he asks.

Arsheed is looking for the easiest place to gain citizenship and a passport.  Claims it is because he wants to retire in Ecuador.  Why not wait until he is ready to retire?  Doesn't this alarm anyone?  Paraguay was on his list for this reason only.  Why is his main goal to obtain a foreign passport?

Joanneinict is right ,why one need  foreign passport if he/she is already settled! And why  not settle after retirement in any other country ?

First of all you need to understand that I am looking for citizenship for my entire family (myself ,my wife and 3 kids ), the reason is we are having different natinalities, I want my kids , my wife and me to have same nationality, we are usually travelling around the world and every time I m facing different rules for different passports , we want to be togather , travel togather and to live togather and we don't have any other motive.

arsheed wrote:

Joanneinict is right ,why one need  foreign passport if he/she is already settled! And why  not settle after retirement in any other country ?

First of all you need to understand that I am looking for citizenship for my entire family (myself ,my wife and 3 kids ), the reason is we are having different natinalities, I want my kids , my wife and me to have same nationality, we are usually travelling around the world and every time I m facing different rules for different passports , we want to be togather , travel togather and to live togather and we don't have any other motive.

Arsheed, First off, I did not question your motives ... the laws in each country are different. If you want to become an Ecuadorian citizen, you must abide by their rules. Ecuador is very liberal in their rules for those that wish to retire and/or settle there as permanent residents. But, the rule is ... if you retire there, you must live there for 9 months a year. If you want to become a citizen, you need to live there for a certain amount of time, learn basic conversational Spanish and learn the history of Ecuador.  Those are the rules ... whether you like them or not.

There are countries that do not allow foreigners to retire there for the rest of my life. India is the first one that comes to mind for me.  I would never be allowed permanent residency.  I can get a visa for a maximum of 10 years at a time, but I am never allowed to become a permanent resident and would never be allowed to become a citizen. I can not legally retire permanently to the UAE, even without a substantial investment in the country, and being "sponsored." Unless I marry a Saudi, I cannot retire there, and the only path to citizenship is to marry a Saudi national.  Shall, I go on? 

Whether you like it or not, the bottom line is each country is free to set their own immigration and citizenship rules.  If you want to become a resident or citizen, then you abide by their rules.  Don't like them, then maybe it's best to stay where you are or return to your home country.

Joanneinict, you are absolutely right , these countries are much advance but I still called them 3rd world countries, I am facing same issues, my wife if she is living with me in indian for next 7 years,  no  Guarantee she will be granted citizenship of India, UAE if you live 20 years or even invest a huge money you can't even apply for citizenship, different country different rules , I respect rules and regulations of each country , yes i know ecuador is more liberal and I completely agree with you , I respect the rules and regulations of ecuador, I am willing to learn Spanish, I m willing to know more and invest more in Ecuador, if ecuador is my county I will make sure I contribute towards the country's GDP, but right now we all are discussing ways /exceptions and we are trying to know and learn about each other through this platform. I m glad people like you are guiding me thought this process .

I am happy my thread is running!!!

ODAN wrote:

I am happy that my threading is running!!!

...I also sent email to Ecuador embassy in Qatar as that is near to UAE and they must help us as we are in UAE since 9 years and embassies should consider the residency not nationality as we are here not in Pakistan and from here Qatar is more near!!

ODAN, some of your strategy is a little hard to follow, but I think it's delightful that you, the OP, are so consistently happy with the way this thread has developed.

cccmedia in Quito

Keltic Tom wrote:

Certain documents are needed ... ie birth certificate, police report, prof of income, marriage certificate, etc.. All must be translated into Spanish in front of a notary. Then the notarized, translated documents must be sent the Secretary of State in the state or country of origin. The Secretary of State then approves them with an 'apostate' seal of some sort.

Abu Sean

Documents must be translated in EC

suefrankdahl wrote:

Keltic Tom wrote:

All must be translated into Spanish in front of a notary. Then the notarized, translated documents must be sent the Secretary of State in the state or country of origin. The Secretary of State then approves them with an 'apostate' seal....

Documents must be translated in EC

SueFrankDahl corrected the above by accurately stating that the appropriate "documents must be translated in Ecuador."

Also, some documents may need an "apostille," not an "apostate" seal.  An apostate is someone whose beliefs have changed and who no longer belongs to a religious or political group. 
(as defined by the Merriam-Webster dictionary)

cccmedia in Quito

Arsheed,

Could you please clarify your current situation. You have job, wife and kids in UAE? Your wife has Indian passport? What about your kids? Why do you want to leave UAE now? Why change what sounds like a good situation?

Due to circumstances explained at the following new thread, Expat.comgers can be of assistance at: "Help ODAN and Others Find a Temporary Residence" (in Quito).

cccmedia

Please keep me in the loop . I am considering moving to ecuator.

Regards

Babar