nondescripthalfbaloon
9/22/2022 16:22 EST
Lots of people go back to the US to get all their documents prepared before applying for a visa here in Ecuador. Why?
I've read that people will fly back from Ecuador back to the US to get all the documents they need. Then come back to Ecuador to apply for their visa. I've even read horror stories of folks having to fly back to the US twice. But I don't understand why.
It seems to me that everything would be cheaper (translations, apostilles, notaries, copies, etc) here in Ecaudor. Except maybe postage. But postage should be *much* cheaper than a round-trip flight, no?
The one item that stands-out as the most difficult to me is the background check. But I was reading through the FBI website, and it seems that you can order it online, and then they mail it to you. It costs $18 and takes 3-5 days. I guess the most difficult thing here is that you have to mail them your fingerprints. But that shouldn't be too difficult. Also, I've done this process for an FBI report outside the US before, but with an agency that sent them digital scans of my fingerprints. Surely there's some place here that will do the digital fingerprint scans for as much as it costs to mail them from Ecuador (and wayy less than a flight back to the US)?
* https://www.fbi.gov/services/cjis/identity-history-summary-checks
Is there something else that I'm missing that's more difficult to get inside of Ecuador?
Has any other US Americans had experience preparing all the necessary documents to apply for a 2-year visa entirely inside Ecuador?
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soccergirl2020
9/23/2022 09:23 EST
You are forgetting apostilles. The process for getting antecedentes penales from FBI.
1. get fingerprints takes 2. Pay for background check and send fingerprints to FBI 3. Receive results 4. Send results to company near Washington DC to carry the report to the Department of State for apostille (about $80) 5. Have apostilled document sent to you FEDEX or DHL, no mail service in Ecuador. About $130. Takes about 3-6 weeks, then start on translations...
Wash, rinse, repeat for however many documents from different locations that have to be apostilled in different states. Have to have background checks from all living locations last 5 years, hope you didn't just move!
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soccergirl2020
9/23/2022 09:23 EST
You are forgetting apostilles. The process for getting antecedentes penales from FBI.
1. get fingerprints takes 2. Pay for background check and send fingerprints to FBI 3. Receive results 4. Send results to company near Washington DC to carry the report to the Department of State for apostille (about $80) 5. Have apostilled document sent to you FEDEX or DHL, no mail service in Ecuador. About $130. Takes about 3-6 weeks, then start on translations...
Wash, rinse, repeat for however many documents from different locations that have to be apostilled in different states. Have to have background checks from all living locations last 5 years, hope you didn't just move!
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soccergirl2020
9/23/2022 09:35 EST
Problem is you have a 3 month tourist visa which can be extended for 3 more months. Getting documents from USA can take 2-3 months then a 1 month wait for appointment to present documents THEN (I have had 2 rounds of tourist visa with extensions, permanent resident visa and naturalization so lots of rounds with immigration) part of your paperwork is not needed (for no obvious reason) and other documents are required. Easy to run out your 6 month clock.
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soccergirl2020
9/23/2022 09:43 EST
Documents cannot be apostilled in Ecuador. An apostille is a government verification of the document. So in the USA, state issued documents have to be apostilled by that state. Federal issued documents have to be apostilled by the federal government in Washington DC.
Ecuador can only apostille Ecuador issued documents like Ecuadorian birth certificates and the like. They CANNOT apostille USA issued documents.
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mariache
10/10/2022 23:50 EST
I got everything translated and notarized in Canada. Flew to Quito and went to Canadian embassy to have the Canadian notary’s signature authenticated.
Canada has not signed the Apostille Hague Convention so after the Canadian embassy’s authentication I took my docs to be apostilled at the Ministry of Human Mobilit.y.
All my documents were accepted everywhere after the Ecuadorian apostille. I submitted them to apply for a temporary residency visa and it was approved immediately.
Excellent service by the Ecuadorian administration by the way.
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William RussellWilliam 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. Get Quote
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mariache
10/10/2022 23:52 EST
The Ecuadorian government apostilled all of my Canadian documents.
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frankEC
10/11/2022 07:34 EST
Why not get them all done BEFORE coming down to apply? That is what I did.
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mariache
10/11/2022 08:36 EST
Contact the American consulate in Quito, they will know the whole process and where to get your finger prints taken locally; it’s usually done at a police station.
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budajiho
10/25/2022 16:53 EST
Questions: 1. Is a birth certificate required for visa? If so, it has to be apposiilled in the state you were born. Is that correct? 2. Does a Social Security Verification Letter need to be apostilled? If so, where should that be sent? 3. I’ve been divorced for 28 years; however, do I need to obtain a Dissolution of Marriage document - that also has to be apostilled?
Thanks, budajiho.
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frankEC
10/31/2022 08:46 EST
yes to all
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