Job Discussion Forums

[duder_1]

Hi there,

I am new to the forum, but not new to Latin America. I lived in Ecuador for three years and taught English at one of the bigger private institutes for almost two of those. However, I did so on a volunteer visa (12-VII) because that was my original purpose in the country and it was easy to renew.

I grew tired of getting paid under the table, so I returned to the US and decided to go back to Ecuador only when in a better situation to get a long-term visa. I now have my CELTA certificate and so that time has come. The 9-V (professional) visa looks like the best option, as it is not tied to a specific job/contract and I potentially could be moving around (I do a lot of travel photography as well and would like that to be part of my livelihood).

I plan to get the 12-IX visa first here in the States and then upgrade it once I'm in Ecuador. Does anyone have experience with the 9-V? The list of requirements (in Spanish) are here:

REQUISITOS PARA LA OBTENCI�N DE VISAS DE INMIGRANTES (.doc, scroll down to see 9-V)

Specifically, my questions are:

- If I have a BA degree, do I also need to present my CELTA certificate for this visa? If so, does anyone know how to get the CELTA certificate apostilled? This is important to know because notaries are not supposed to certify educational documents where I live (source), and such documents instead have to be certified directly by the school/institution. I have contacted Cambridge ESOL but received no response yet.

- Do I need an apostilled transcript as proof of my degree, or is just the diploma enough? I ask because the above link just refers to the "t�tulo superior", but also indicates that the degree has to be validated by an Ecuadorian university. My diploma obviously doesn't provide the kind of detail a transcript does, so I question if they also need the latter. However, I'd like to know before I start paying for legalized documents I don't need.

- Incidentally, does it matter what my degree is in for the purposes of this visa? I have a BA in Economics, but obviously am planning to teach EFL now.

I have contacted the Ministerio del Gobierno about the first two questions, but am still awaiting a response.

Finally, especially to those working in Ecuador for the long term, what visas do you have? What have other teachers you know done? I am wondering if I am overthinking this.

Thanks for your help.

[rlloydevans]

The problem right now is that Ecuador has tightened up on their requirements for Visas. In many cases it is much harder to get working Visas. Justin can probably give you better advice since he works on getting visas for employees.

As for my wife and I, we both work under 12-VIII visas at colegios in Guayaquil.

Remember, there are some serious advantages in getting a 12-VIII - mainly, since you can only receive a "stipend" and are not allowed secondary income, you are also not required to be involved in the convoluted Ecuadorian taxing system. If you attain a 9-V, you will be, involving a lot of taxes and even more mountains of paperwork.

[naturegirl321]

I's say in general, you should your orginal apostillised degree.
and sealed transcripts. Can't really get those apostillised, becuase once they're opened, many places won't acept them.

[duder_1]

[just_a_mirage]

I currently have a permanant resident visa, but spent several years working on a volunteer visa, and was able to do so legally. You just have to go to SRI and get a RUC number so that you can have facturas printed. While I was doing that, I paid taxes twice a year, and it was not that big of a deal. I went with my roles de pago for that time period, and next to the SRI building was a copy place with people who would do your taxes and print them up for five dollars. Then off to the bank to pay if I owed anything (paid $15 the first time because I filed late...never had to pay otherwise) and that was that. The whole process took less than an hour.

[duder_1]

That's interesting that you were able to do that, considering that part of the volunteer visa stipulation is that you will provide services free of charge. Not sure if that's the route I'd like to go, but thanks for the comment.

Was your visa a 12-VII or 12-VIII? What do you have now?

[just_a_mirage]

As far as tightening up requirements for work visas, there is a lot of paperwork that has to be submitted by you, with apostilled documents, translations that must be notorized at a consulate etc. The economy here has taken a hit here too, and many employers arent willing to spend the time and money to sponsor someone without the proper paperwork when there are plenty of bilingual ecuadorians and people with the correct documentation in-country. That being said, there are always some that will sponsor, especially if you have qualifications that they are really looking for.
As far as working on the volunteer visa...I had the 12-VII. I believed that I couldnt work either, but people kept telling me I could. I went to SRI (social security) presented my passport, my apartment contract, and an electric bill, and they assigned me a RUC (social security) number immediately. I worked this way for two years with no problems. Currently I have a permanant visa that allows me to work because I am married to an Ecuadorian.
The professional visa may be your best bet, as it will allow you to work in more than one place, which is the norm here. I know it is a lot of documents, and apostilles, but I have heard that once you get it, renewing it is much simpler. Best of luck to you..if you have any more questions, or anything I can help you with, please let me know.

[Justin Trullinger]

Some thoughts-

As a preface- nobody here that I know of is a lawyer or an expert in this area. I have some experience, and am happy to share them, but if you need legal advice, get it from a lawyer. This is particularly important in Ecuador, where the law changes day to day. (And on a couple of occasions, I've been threatened with legal action by people who took my advice, and discovered that the situation had changed.)

First thought- DO NOT TAKE ANY VISA ADVICE FROM ANYBODY IF IT IS BASED ON EXPERIENCE MORE THAN 6 to 12 MONTHS OLD. Systems, laws, and practices change.

Second thought- you need to be in touch with employers. SOme will/can employ you on one type of visa, and not on another. If you really want to do this fully legally, you need to get a legit job AND a legit visa. And they have to match. Meaning that you need to know about the job you're aiming towards before you get the visa.

I've never worked with the 9-V, though looking at the website, it looks like a pretty good one.

If, though, for some reason an employer prefers another visa...being on the wrong one could cost you the job. (For tax reasons, just for familiarity, or whatever. Some employers may prefer the convenience of categorizing you as an intercultural volunteer instead of the paperwork of paying your social security contributions and whatnot.)

So two things- start the job hunt well before arrival. Make sure the visa matches the job.

And get the visa before arrival at the Ecuadorian consul nearest you.


Best,
Justin

[duder_1]

Thanks for the feedback, everyone.

Justin, your comment about the changing situation is definitely a good one, and I noted this in the sticky post about Ecuador in this forum.

I have been in touch with a lawyer friend who works in Quito and am making double sure that I have all the papers ready and properly legalized. Incidentally, I finally found the proper way to get an Apostille on my TEFL certificate (which is _not_ the improvised solution I read many people were doing on this forum).

I'm still going through with the 9-V. Unfortunately, you actually can't get any category 9 visa in the consulate before actually going to Ecuador, at least not any of the regional ones, I am not sure about the main one in Washington, DC.

So, I am getting the 12-IX here in the US, and with the help of my lawyer friend, will upgrade it once I get to Ecuador. Things are coming along, and the longest part of this process is getting apostilles on my degrees. I did figure out what to do about it, so it's just a matter of sending things back and forth and then waiting. And paying fees! If anyone wants to know more about that, send me a message.

As for employers, that's a good point. I will be looking for fully legit jobs, and if that means fewer options, I'm okay with that. But your suggestion is noted, and I will start to ask around and see how I can get my foot in the door at some of the more reputable places.

[just_a_mirage]

I think once you are legal, then your options will increase. You will be elilgible to work in a bi-lingual high school of which there are many. I am in Guayaquil, and there are dozens here that are very good, and the pay is decent by Ecuador standards. You may also be eligible to work in some universities, not to mention English Institutes. Again, I am only speaking about what I know in Guayaquil, but I really believe that if you have the legal working visa, your options will increase anywhere in the country, not decrease, and you will be paid better as well.

[HLJHLJ]

duder_1, how are you getting on with your visa? I'm trying to apply for 12IX in the UK, and also get the documents together to be able to apply for further visas once I am there and working. The Ecuadorian embassy here are not so much unhelpful, as completely silent, and as I don't have any lawyer friends I am struggling to get any useful information

I am hoping that the process here will be similar to the one in USA.

As I understand it I need to get copies of my degree certificates notarised and then legalised by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in the UK. However, they will not translate nor legalise a translation. I am finding conflicting information on whether it is necessary to have them translated, or whether legalised copies in English are sufficient.

I will (hopefully) be getting my CELTA certificate in Ecuador, so presumably that will be acceptable as is.

Finally one of the requirements for a 12IX is a letter from the employer citing monthly income. Obviously with no employer yet, I can't provide that. Did you have any issue with that?

Thanks in advance