The PDF below is very good reading for anyone contemplating what we are attempting to do. Sebastian is our lawyer and has been incredibly helpful.
http://www.garyascott.com/images/2012/08/VISA-REPORT-AUGUST-20121.pdf
As well, the Ecuador Consulate in Canada is a good source of information and will answer any questions via email provided. All of the info below only applies to fellow Canadians seeking help.
http://www.embassyecuador.ca/english/
First an explanation of which visa we are going to apply for and why. After much thought we are both going to apply for an investors' Visa ( 2 separate visas-one each of CD's or property equaling $25,000 each).
Why one each and not one plus dependent? Our good friend Connie, an American living in Salinas, lost her beloved husband to cancer last January. Because she was a dependent on her husband's visa, she not only had to deal with her grief but also with the incredible beaurocracy involved in getting her own visa. Since one of us is going to die first, we are saving the surviving partner the hassle of doing what Connie had to do.
Second, why an investors' and not a pensioners'? Although I qualify for a pensioners' visa my husband does not so in order to save paperwork/translations etc, we are both going for the investors' visa using our Salinas condo.
One thing to remember for the pensioners' visa. If using your government pension, it MUST be at least $800 ( plus $100 for a dependent). If you are Canadian like myself, and you get $550 in CPP and $500 in OAP you CANNOT use two separate government documents. You must get the Canadian government to issue you one piece of paper listing both.
Our visa type decided, our paperwork was relatively easy.
1. Criminal record granted by the authority of the place you have been living on the last 5 years, dully apostilled and translated into Spanish, the translator must recognized the signature before a Notary.
2. Closing Deed, original, duly registered. DONE plus no translation required
3. Certificate from the Real estate Registrar granted no more than 30 days before the application is submitted. Sebastian to get for us once we arrive
4. Municipal Land Tax 2012 DONE plus no translation required
http://www.commissionaires-cgl.ca/
Just make sure you insist on your finger prints going digital to the RCMP. This outlet will take your prints and photo and submit both to the RCMP via internet and in just over a week, you will get your criminal record ( or lack there of- LOL) including a copy of your photo and finger prints- very official looking.
Next step is getting your documents translated. We used the following service- they were fast, reasonably expensive and did both the certifying and notarizing of each translated document.
http://www.wedotranslation.com/rates-fees.htm
We had to scan our documents and send them to this service via email. They sent us back an invoice of their cost. Once paid via credit card, bank interac transfer or mailed check, the translation was done. Once completed, a translated copy was emailed to you to check before certifying/notarizing was done, Once OK'd by you, the translations duly certified and notarized were sent to you via courier service.
Just make sure that each document is separate-in our case 2 RCMP criminal records, 2 separate notarized translated documents.
Of course you are not done yet!
Next, you have to get the notarizing checked and veryfied by the Canada Document center- see link below.
http://www.mgs.gov.on.ca/en/OffDoc/STEL01_045716.html
In our case, the closest office was 700 University, 6th floor, in Toronto. They will do each one while you wait for a cost of $16 each.
Next stop is the Ecuador Consulate to get your translated documents legalized. The address in Toronto is 151 Bloor St W unit 450. Again, they will do the legalizing while you wait and the cost is $5US each.
So you think you are done- LOL- not so fast!!! Just lately the rules have changed regarding the additional documents required to receive your 'Cedula' - the ID card required for every Ecuadorian resident.
The following is now required:
Birth certificates duly apostilled and translated into Spanish (apostilled or legalized by the ecuadorian consul)
Marriage certificate apostilled and translated into spanish (apostilled or legalized by the ecuadorian consul
Easy you say! Not if you were born in Germany, married twice once in USA, and changed your name only once!
Luckily we both had a certified copy of our German birth certificates and my first marriage certificate and a certified second marriage certificate from Las Vegas , USA.
The only reason I needed my first marriage certificate ( and possibly my divorce papers) is to prove my name change from my maiden name to my married name of my first husband ( refused to change my name yet again when I married my second husband causing more problems!).
We sent all back to our translation people, then back to the Canada Document center and finally back to the Ecuadorian Consulate. The Consulate legalized all of these even though we had NOT gotten the German and USA documents apostilled.
So now we are finally done and waiting our return to Ecuador in October. Stay tuned to how our Visa aquisition tribulations progress- LOL
