Job Discussion Forums

[jbrannan]

Just wondering if it's legal to teach in Ecuador if one has a retirement visa? Or does possessing a retirement visa make any difference other than being in the country legally? I haven't seen this question answered probably because most of you are way under retirement age But I'm getting close and understand the difficulties with getting a work visa and.. I really don't want to teach illegally..
Thanks for any information anyone may have!!

[HLJHLJ]

Yes it's fine. The retirement visa is a resident visa. Once it is processed you will get your cedula (ID card). Then you can apply for a RUC number and facturas (for tax). After that you are good to go. You may find schools are reluctant to hire you full time because of your age, but part time work and private students should be OK.

[jbrannan]

Thanks for the info!

[just_a_mirage]

Actually it is not legal to work on a pension visa (9-I). The purpose of that visa is to bring money into the country, not to pay it out. If you have a four year degree, the better option might be to get the Professional 9-V visa. You can get work on the Pension visa, because most employers dont realize that you are not supposed to be working, and immigration and SRI (the Ecuadorian version of the IRS) don`t necessarily cross check. But at some point, if they find out that you have been working, you can face penalties, up to and including the revocation of the visa.

[HLJHLJ]

That's odd J-A-M, I was told by the UK consulate, they said you can work on any 9 series visa, that as long as it's a resident visa, it entitles you to work.

[jbrannan]

Is it difficult to get the Professional Visa? I actually have a Master's Degree in Education and am a retired teacher in the US.
Thanks for any information you can provide,

[jbrannan]

There is an Ecuadorian Consulate in my city. Maybe I should check it out with them to be sure. Thank you both for the information!

[just_a_mirage]

In all honesty, the consulates often give false information. A few of my clients have had some very expensive problems as a result. Rules change and they arent always kept up to date. I just asked that question this week at the Ministerio del Exterior which oversees visas, and their reply was that you cannot work on pension or investment visas such as the 9-II real estate or CD investment visas, as the objective for these types of visas, is to bring money into the country, not to pay wages out. Im aware of one current case in the region where I´m at, where the person is currently in the legal process of trying to retain their visa after Migracion found that they were working.

[jbrannan]

Thank you very much for the information.. In your opinion where can I find the latest, most accurate information on visas? I believe I would qualify also for the professional visa (not sure of the exact wording of this one) since I do have an advanced degree but am not sure how to go about attempting to obtain this.
Thanks again

[HLJHLJ]

Apologies for this misinformation JB.

J-A-M even by Ecuadorian bureaucracy standards, that's really bad I was specifically asking about the investor vs professional visas for teaching (because of the long delays getting certs registered with SENECYT in Quito at the moment). They said they were both fine and that all the 9 series conferred equal rights to work once they were issued. Is this a new change? And do you know if it's documented anywhere? Thanks.

[naturegirl321]

I have looked at retirement visas in a handful.of countries and I do not know of any that allow you to work. But if anyone knows of any please let me mnow.

[lagringalindissima]

that in Ecuador the visa process is NOT straightforward or easy to understand..as has been claimed on this board?

If a UK consulate does not even know what types of visas you can legally work on, then Ecuador has a real visa problem.

[HLJHLJ]

Jbrannan, if you are still following this, I just got my professional visa issued. I did it myself, and although getting the paperwork in order was a slow process, once I had everything together it only took about 3 weeks to get the actual visa. It was fairly straight forward to do, and I'm happy to answer any questions by PM if you are thinking of going down that route.

Also, I believe the situation in Ecuador has now changed (again) and you CAN work on a retirement visa now. Hopefully J-A-M can confirm?

[bexarwithme]

HLJHLJ, Did you get your professional visa in Quito?

[HLJHLJ]

Yes, I applied in Quito.