RELOCATION TO SOUTH AMERICA - PLEASE HELP :)

Except for Guyana or the Falklands (!), you're not going to find a lot of people who speak English, let alone who can work as seamstresses. As for the best countries with beaches, Uruguay is the most stable and secure, next Chile, although the Pacific tends to be colder in that area.

I would consider Paraguay because labor is cheap.  Labor is reportedly cheap.  The minimum wage is about $300 US/month.  However, actual wages can be much lower.  Out in the hinterlands a maid may make as little as $55 US.  Unemployment is high.

The internet would lead me to believe there is a shortage of seamstresses in Paraguay.  But I suspect employers in need of seamstresses are advertising in the wrong media.  People affluent enough to have internet access don't want to sew.

Paraguay is bordered by rivers on the east and west, and divided by a third river up the middle.  Although Paraguay is landlocked,  it has ocean access via navigable rivers through treaty.

Paraguay is probably weak on English.  It has two official languages: Spanish & Guarani. 

Here is a link you might find interesting.  At least one person in your field is proficient in English!
giannyl.com/about-gianny/

Hi,I'm living in Ecuador Quito, know it well and get around like any local,It would interest me to work with you.if you have any questions feel free to write. Average salary here $250 a month.

Hi, I live in Colombia, was in Ecuador for a little bit.
Sorry to give the same advice you see so much on the net BUT...
  You should save some $$$ and visit a few places, it really is
the only way. As to people who sew....that is what poorer people do...in both countries I've seen several signs on people's houses advertising sewing...I don't think you would have much of a problem finding employees who know what they're
doing.
  RE: lanuage...Spanish is really not that hard to learn and
WELL WORTH the EFFORT. Your life will be so much easier/enjoyable...and many times more economical if you can
interact with the locals in their language.
  Best of luck...RE: Colombia, I find it safe, the people are
very nice, sadly no access to Pacific Coast, I'm moving to
the Carib coast of Colombia in May.
  Good luck

Hi fellows: I am thinking of moving to South America. I am an English teacher, not a native speaker thou, what countries will you advise visit,to seek for employment? Thanks

How to save Money on Your Shipping
Make it a More Enjoyable Experience.
By Charles R Phillips

One of the most difficult decisions one has to make, after deciding to make beautiful Ecuador ones home, is, “Do I ship my precious household items which I have spent a life time acquiring or do I not ship?

The first consideration is the cost. Don't let anyone lead you astray or minimize the cost of shipping your household items. Depending on where you ship from, and whether you need a 40 ft container or a 20 ft container, will determine your initial costs. The costs from Midwest USA should be about $4,800 to $5,200, this is shipping from the US city to Guayaquil.

The first cost is packing in your items. You may save money by doing the packing yourself, but you will need some professional counseling in order to do it correctly. Packing for international shipping, in a container, is not the same as packing to ship across your country over the freeway and smooth roads.  In addition, the customs requirements for Ecuador will have to be met.

Shipping companies may provide you with a quote.   However, remember that anything additional to the basic quote is an add on charge. Every precious valuable item that must be specially packed is an additional charge from $145 to $300 dollars depending on the crate size. Just putting your excellent mattress in a water poof package is additional. Be sure your items are not just numbered boxes but tagged.  You should check off each item as it is loaded in and unloaded from the container. Take your own picture of everything before you load and then after it is loaded. Request copies of pictures your shipping company took. If you're coming to Ecuador, most US or Canadian shipping companies do not know the customs requirements for the packing list. This list is totally different from the usual packing list the Packer or shipper is used to doing, it must be very detailed.

Hints to help your items arrive unbroken:
1.    You must pack very well and with extra padding.
2.    Very large red fragile stickers in many very easy to see places on each fragile box. Remember the Ecuadorian unloading your things doesn't speak English, so Spanish is best when writing the fragile label.
3.    When loading your items in the container put the Fragile items on top and be sure they are secured.
4.    On all your fragile and clothing items use commercial grade sturdy boxes. Used store boxes can be very costly in the long run.

Part of the cost is in loading and blocking the container. The unusual charge for this is from $90 to $150 an hour with a four hour minimum. Do not assume that once your container is put in place, you have all the time in the world to load it. Check with each container company and find out their policy and their charges. This can add up. Some container companies will even have a policy to drop the container and allow you 24 to 48 hours to load.

The next charge is to take your container over land to the container departure station. This may not be the port of departure but the nearest container departure point, to your home. it maybe a railway point or a container yard. This charge will be by mileage and “fuel add on” charges.  Therefore, 10 -50 miles is about $150, 100 to 200 miles about $800 and so forth. Different container companies have different departure points, the larger companies will have more departure points which can lower your overland charges, so keep this in mind when choosing a company.





Next cost and the easiest to understand is the sea travel cost for your container from port of departure to Ecuador. Unless you want your container held up in Guayaquil, be sure your bill of lading has the final
destination specified to be a private customs, in the customs city nearest you and that it matches your packing list and insurance value.

The next charge is Insurance. This should run 1.5 to 2% per 100 of the declared value. Use “in country insurance” if you really are concerned with insurance that will pay. You can choose your deductible rate. You are required to have an Ecuadorian insurance company insure your international sea leg. This insurance is required but will not pay in case of damage because the insurance is not collectable on used goods, only new, and you must have an identification tag on each item and the original receipt of purchase on each item to collect. So, since you are not allowed to ship new goods, it is virtually worthless, but you must have it. The up side is, it's cheap. So if you want to insure your goods you will have to have two policies. “Welcome to South America logic”

New enforcement of an old law; each item in a box must be listed and valued. Every item in a box must be identified and the amount and the value. Your packing list is one of the most important items that you will put together. It must meet the Ecuadorian customs requirements and way of doing things.  It may not make sense to you, but you're not the one responsible for allowing your items into Ecuador, so be sure your agent has a good relationship with customs.

One of the many reasons for containers being held up in Guayaquil, even if the final destination on the Bill of Lading is the private customs near you, is that the BOL (bill of lading).  There are certain things that must match must match.

The next problem to be avoided is customs finding something wrong with the packing list or having a question about it. If you have a lot of time you can send your packing list to the nearest Ecuadorian consulate and play the back and forth game until all their questions are answered and they stamp the packing list “approved”.

The alternative is that you can work with your Ecuadorian agent and they can work with local private customs and have your list notarized and approved in Ecuador.

Do not ship, or list, forbidden items on your packing list; this will cause you a lot of problems with customs and could cost you a lot of time and money. It is also a felony if you're caught. BEWARE, many agents will tell you what you want to hear, but you're the one that will be held responsible.

So doing these first steps can help your items get to the final destination without your container being held up in Guayaquil and your being charged $100 a day storage fee, plus a fee to redo any paper work customs feels is wrong. Some of the horror stories are Expats household goods being held in Guayaquil storage for 60 to 90 days or more.

The next cost is, your local, in country agent and import taxes, port charges, freight and other fees. These costs should run around $4300 to $5,300.  Your agent should provide you with a written detailed agreement on charges and on what duties they will perform for you. This needs to be spelled out clearly.  Remember once your items are in a container and shipped you are at the mercy of your agents truthfulness, character and diligence.







Problems which can occur if you do not have a written agreement on charges and services provided:
1.    Add on charges you will have to pay before you get your container released.
2.    Not knowing how the customs service works and what is required of you.
3.    Being told false or misleading information which later costs you money or holds up your container.
4.    Facing extra duty charges by Ecuadorian customs.
5.    Bringing items like cars, motorcycles or other things that are not allowed, but you are told it will be all right, the agent can get them through.
6.    Being told what you want to hear not, what the customs requirements really are and how the customs process works.

Misinformation: There is a lot of misinformation on what can be shipped and what cannot. Many agents will tell you what you want to hear, but then when your items get stuck in Guayaquil customs they simply shrug their shoulders or mumble things on the phone. Also, in most cases you will have to put up a deposit on your container to move it out of the Guayaquil port. Be sure you're clear, in writing, on how and when you get this deposit back or you will find yourself never getting it back. If you go to your agent they will say it's not their problem. But you thought you hired them to solve your problems. Guess again!

There are things you are not allowed to bring without paying duties and holding up your whole load while you straighten things out.  Make sure your shipping agent tells you what they are.

There are items Ecuadorians returning back to the Ecuador can bring that we foreigners cannot. Many people get the two mixed up.

Your items arrived at your new Ecuadorian home and it looked like a bomb went off in the container. What happened? So, you call your shipping agent or container company and go off on them only to be told it was packed tight and right when they closed and sealed your container. If the shipping company has been in business more than a week they will have taken pictures of the inside of your container before it was closed, as proof of their work.

So what happened? If you used cheap boxes or the boxes were not filed up then they will settle during the trip and begin to loosen the load. But the problem was probably in Customs after they arrived, especially if your container was checked just to Guayaquil.

In Guayaquil, they break the seal and open your container. Then begin to take out boxes and things. They are allowed to unload the whole container and open every closed box if they desire.  However, usually they take out 20 to 39 boxes, enough to see deep into the container. Then they open the boxes and check the items according to the box number and items detailed on the packing list. If all is as it says on the packing the preapproved packing list, they simply say, in Spanish, “That's it,”, and walk away. Now the customs people who opened your container begin to just put your boxes and items back in, any old way and really don't worry about how tight the load is repacked. In fact if your agent doesn't really oversee this process it will be just thrown together the doors closed and red seal put in then container and away it goes over the rough roads on its trip to “where ever” in Ecuador, over some fairly rough roads with a jerky “hit the brakes” driver. When it arrives, you open the doors and “Oh heaven forbid, what a mess, and the blame game begins.” Then you find out your insurance was only good to the first opening of the container and now no one is responsible for paying you for the damaged or lost items.







Be sure and take pictures of each broken item before it leaves the container if possible. Have someone there to check off each item and each box from your packing list as it is unloaded. Have a person stand at the container at all times. If you are having to use an elevator have someone at the elevator as items are loaded to go up to your apartment.

You've just spent what started out to be what you thought was going to be $6,000 and now is over $12,000 and your things are broken and your Ecuadorian experience just went down hill.

The good news is, this doesn't have to be your story. So plan your move.  Be very comfortable with your packer, shipper, insurance company, and your Ecuadorian agent. Get as much as possible in writing. Remember if it looks to good to be true then it's probably not true. A good move on a 40 ft container from the middle of the United States to Ecuador should cost around $9,500 for your basic shipping. All add on will be extra. A professional mover, packing, shipping, and unloading, home to home will cost around $11,000 to $15,000, not counting custom fees and taxes. Moving is a high risk business so companies will charge for the risk. 

You cannot bring a car duty free. In fact you can only bring a new car in a separate container by paying 60% duty.

For a  14 page Helpful Facts on moving and living in Ecuador  to write  [email protected]