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Visa Requirements

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cjmckay
  5/26/2017 16:11 EST

I am looking to relocate to Portugal from Ecuador in 2018. I am a U.S. citizen and looking for an immigration attorney in the Algarve to help me with the process for getting a residency visa. Thanks for any help.

mondayschild
  5/27/2017 05:55 EST

Why do you feel you need an immigration attorney?

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cjmckay
  5/27/2017 09:50 EST

I am a U.S. citizen living in Ecuador. I am being told that I will need a new FBI report when I go to Portugal although I will have lived outside the U.S. for more than a year when I move to Portugal. I have no fingerprints and was not able to get that report when I moved here, but instead used a channeler who tried with four sets to get the report and then issued me a letter stating the prints were rejected. That apostilled letter was accepted here in Ecuador. I need to find out more about what Portugal will be looking for.

cjmckay
  5/27/2017 11:40 EST

I am a U.S. citizen currently living in Ecuador for about a year. I needed an FBI report here, used a channeller in the States, and was declined after sending four sets of prints. I got a letter from the channeller stating such and apostilled and that worked for Ecuador. I want to find out how to handle that for Portugal.

stillkicking
  5/27/2017 13:36 EST

Perhaps a letter from a doctor stating that you suffer from adermatoglyphia?
Good luck.

mondayschild
  5/28/2017 06:29 EST

The time and energy it takes to ask on a forum how to find an immigration attorney to give you answers from the embassy can be used to ask those questions directly to the embassy. And it's free.

Not trying to be rude, just direct.

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William Russell's private medical insurance will cover you and your family wherever you may be. Whether you need primary care or complex surgery, you'll have access to the best hospitals & doctors available. Unlike some insurers, we also include medical evacuation and mental health cover in our plans (except SilverLite). Get a quote from our partner, William Russell.
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BigWorld
  5/28/2017 09:23 EST

mondayschild,

How do you know that cjmckay is not doing both?

stillkicking
  5/28/2017 10:06 EST

So you have no information to give, just passive aggressive "advice" on the wisdom of the request.

mondayschild
  5/28/2017 10:26 EST

Actually it is perfectly good advice. It is an American characteristic to render oneself "helpless" when abroad, needing to pay others to coddle them. An entire industry has sprung up in Portugal, offering unnecessary immigration services, and laughing all the way to the bank.

LovetheBeach
  5/28/2017 10:40 EST

cjmckay, there are Portuguese Consulates in both Quito and Guayaquil. Depending on where in Ecuador you live, one of these will be convenient to you. I suggest you call the nearest Portuguese Consulate and ask to speak to someone who speaks English. Consulates and Embassies in Ecuador usually have at least one person who speaks English as there are many English speakers in Ecuador. In addition, English is the most popular second language in Ecuador, with the possible exception of Kichwa. It should not be very difficult to get your answers over the phone. Buena Suerte!

LovetheBeach
  5/28/2017 10:57 EST

mondayschild, I have noticed the very same thing in Europe and Latin America. Any country , in fact, where English is not the first language. I blame it on the crazy American cultural dictate of isolationism and believing that Americans are somehow superior to people of other countries. I've also noticed that if it weren't for the insane economic and political issues in the US, most of the Americans we see immigrating to other countries would really have rather stayed in the US. And, yes, I am an American currently living in South America.

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William Russell's private medical insurance will cover you and your family wherever you may be. Whether you need primary care or complex surgery, you'll have access to the best hospitals & doctors available. Unlike some insurers, we also include medical evacuation and mental health cover in our plans (except SilverLite). Get a quote from our partner, William Russell.

William RussellWilliam Russell

William Russell's private medical insurance will cover you and your family wherever you may be. Whether you need primary care or complex surgery, you'll have access to the best hospitals & doctors available. Unlike some insurers, we also include medical evacuation and mental health cover in our plans (except SilverLite). Get a quote from our partner, William Russell.
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cjmckay
  5/28/2017 14:47 EST

To Mondayschild- I have already gone through this process in Ecuador. I was able to find an immigration attorney that was reasonably priced and able to get documents I needed from the States easier than I could as it is very difficult to receive mail here. I would be willing to pay for a consultation to find out how my situation is addressed in Portugal. It is not uncommon in seniors. I worked in banking with paper for many years and have not had prints for a long time. I guess no one on this forum has ever used an attorney but thanks anyway.

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