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jml3
Joined: 20 Apr 2010 Posts: 9
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Posted: Thu May 06, 2010 2:57 pm Post subject: Ecaudorian 12-IX visa and the Censo... |
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Greetings. I arrived in Ecuador to attend the CELTA course taught by Southern Cross and hope to find a job in Ecuador after I (hopefully) pass the CELTA course. I was advised to arrive with a 12-IX visa and obtained one from the embassy in Miami (I'm from the US). The visa must be registered in Ecuador, and I have run into some delays doing this, mostly because the relevant offices are only processing visa-related items Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays these days.
I've managed to get the visa registered, and was then told I need to go back to a certain office to get my censo. But depending on how long this takes, I might have to go attend the course before getting my censo. Does anyone know if this would fatally damage my prospects of getting a work visa ironed out in the long run? Right now I am figuring I would rather have a CELTA certificate and no censo than the reverse, but I'd love to hear what some experienced folks have to say.
Thanks. |
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just_a_mirage
Joined: 11 Nov 2008 Posts: 169 Location: ecuador
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Posted: Thu May 06, 2010 3:19 pm Post subject: |
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Its easy to get the Censo. Just go to Migracion office across from the Terminal Terrestre on the river, near the airport. If its not busy, you will have it in 15 minutes. You must take care of this. If you wait more than 30 days, then you will be fined $200 dollars and will not be allowed to leave the country without it. You cannot work without your censo, and as it is your ID card as a foreigner, you can land in some hot water if you are stopped by police and are not carrying it. |
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jml3
Joined: 20 Apr 2010 Posts: 9
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Posted: Thu May 06, 2010 7:37 pm Post subject: |
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Thanks for the info. I'm heading to Migracion tomorrow to get it. |
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latif
Joined: 25 Apr 2010 Posts: 31 Location: Oakland, California
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Posted: Fri May 07, 2010 5:44 am Post subject: |
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Thank you for sharing your experience jml3 ... very useful information.
I'm also planning on going this same route to Ecuador for the CELTA course (in November). The visa process is somewhat cumbersome, and they don't seem to be consistent. I'm planning on getting to Ecuador in mid-October, to give myself some time for travel ...
I'm going to probably travel elsewhere in Latin America in August and September. The visa requirements state that I need a round trip ticket ... I can get that, but since I will be traveling elsewhere, I would like to create an itinerary that would look something like US - Mexico - Venezuela - Bolivia - Ecuador - US. Does anyone know if that would pose a problem for visa purposes, do they just need a ticket/itinerary showing that I'm going to return/leave Ecuador, or does it have to be a US - Ecuador - US ticket?
(I know I need to ask these questions at the consulate, but I think there maybe folks here who have some recent experience ... )
Also am cut/paste this from the other thread - so we can have updated information in one thread on the 12 IX visa
"And to register, you need color copies of your passport picture page, the visa in your passport, the actual visa paper they gave you, which they will keep, so make copies for yourself, copies of the stamp from when you entered the country, and a letter, in spanish requesting that your visa be registered."
"and then after all that, you get the censo. for which you need a photocopy of the passport page with the registration stamp. at least that is how they are making me do it. and these days at least they are only open monday, wednesday, and friday, and you have to go there early (before 6 am) to get in line because they only process 40 requests a day." |
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HLJHLJ
Joined: 06 Oct 2009 Posts: 1218 Location: Ecuador
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Posted: Tue May 18, 2010 1:31 pm Post subject: |
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Can you still register in Quito, or does it have to be done in Guayaquil now? |
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jebedu
Joined: 18 May 2010 Posts: 12 Location: Minnesota, United States
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Posted: Fri May 21, 2010 12:18 am Post subject: |
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I am taking the CELTA course this September in Ecuador and thinking of obtaining a 12 IX visa. My question's are can I get my censo while I am here in the US? I am not sure when I want to return so must I get a round-trip ticket back to the US or can I get a ticket to another country to visit? Lastly, in order to upgrade the 12 IX visa to a work visa in Ecuador, are you required to pay another fee ($200)?
Any responses would be greatly appreciated! |
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just_a_mirage
Joined: 11 Nov 2008 Posts: 169 Location: ecuador
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Posted: Fri May 21, 2010 2:23 pm Post subject: |
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No, you cannot get a Censo in the U.S. It must be obtained here at Migracion, and costs $4. I think you can present a ticket to another destination, as long as you show you are leaving the country. Yes, you will have to pay another fee if you switch to another kind of visa. |
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jml3
Joined: 20 Apr 2010 Posts: 9
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Posted: Wed May 26, 2010 1:26 pm Post subject: |
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Hi Everybody. I wanted to update my thread...when I last went to Migracion to get my Censo they would not give it to me saying I needed to have a Guarantia Economica even though the letter from the Miami Embassy where I obtained my visa stated plainly in Spanish that this requirement had been completed. They said I needed a guarantee from somebody in Ecuador. Fortunately I have a friend in Guayaquil who is willing and able to do this. The documents are being notarized this week and I will be heading back to Migracion hopefully Friday or next Monday.
I don�t know if I am just running into bad luck on this or what, but I have so far found the process of the 12 IX very frustrating. Just a Mirage, I�d appreciate any advice you have on this, you seem to be wise in the ways of the Censo.
Jim |
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just_a_mirage
Joined: 11 Nov 2008 Posts: 169 Location: ecuador
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Posted: Wed May 26, 2010 2:22 pm Post subject: |
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Wow, I have never heard of that requirement...if the consulate grants you the visa, that should be it. I did have a friend who was given a hard time about the censos a few months ago, and his girlfriend went down and sweet-talked the police, and they gave it to him. Let me know if the financial guarentee doesnt work, maybe I can help you figure something out. |
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jml3
Joined: 20 Apr 2010 Posts: 9
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Posted: Wed May 26, 2010 2:59 pm Post subject: |
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JaM:
Thanks for the offer. Hopefully I won't have to take you up on it.
Like you, my understanding was that everything here should be a formality because I already had the visa, but that has very much not been the case.
An Ecuadorian friend who did the Southern Cross CELTA before me is helping me out. She talked to the Migracion officer and he told her to get the Guarantia etc...so that is the road we are going down.
I'll be travelling to Guayaquil from Montanita Friday or Monday and hope that will be the end of it.
Jim |
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just_a_mirage
Joined: 11 Nov 2008 Posts: 169 Location: ecuador
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Posted: Wed May 26, 2010 3:08 pm Post subject: |
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Its my understanding that there is a migracion office in Manta...maybe it would be easier to get it there. Sometimes the offices in smaller cities are more accomodating |
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HLJHLJ
Joined: 06 Oct 2009 Posts: 1218 Location: Ecuador
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Posted: Wed May 26, 2010 9:07 pm Post subject: |
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This is very worrying
We don't know anyone in Ecuador who can act as a guarantor. I thought the whole point in jumping through the hoops here were so that the paperwork was done when you arrived?!
What happens if you don't know anyone in Ecuador who can do it? |
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latif
Joined: 25 Apr 2010 Posts: 31 Location: Oakland, California
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Posted: Thu May 27, 2010 6:18 am Post subject: |
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Well, I hope this experience is an exception - it would be useful if we could find out if others have had similar experiences? Also if others in Ecuador could chime in?
It seems to me the only other option is to go on a tourist visa - which would mean leaving, and returning to the country of origin - which is really not something I'd wanna do ... If we could get some clarification on this, that would be helpful (esp. for those of us who don't have any contacts in Ecuador).
I don't mind some hassels etc. while traveling, I expect it... but this seems like this would result in some serious problems ... |
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jml3
Joined: 20 Apr 2010 Posts: 9
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Posted: Mon Jun 07, 2010 2:48 am Post subject: |
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Hi All
In the end I got the censo, but the situation got a bit crazier. They told me (and my Ecuadorian friend who was sweet talking) that the economic guarantee--what they said was missing last time, despite the visacion letter from the embassy--was fine and all, but what they *really* needed was a sworn statement of where I was staying. So we did a lease and got it notarized and I got the censo, then they handed me the economic guarantee back and said they didn't need it.
Oh and the laminating machine wasn't working that day, so my censo is in the plastic sleeve that is supposed to be laminated on, so I'm just waiting for that to be a problem later.
I honestly don't think my friend or I did anything to offend anybody in Migracion, we were very polite the entire time. I guess it could be that something in the way my visa was handled by the embassy in Miami set them off. I really don't know...
I heard through the grapevine here at Southern Cross's training center that a trainee on the last class also had trouble, but I don't have that word directly, so I don't know if that is true or what the exact situation was.
Jim |
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just_a_mirage
Joined: 11 Nov 2008 Posts: 169 Location: ecuador
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Posted: Mon Jun 07, 2010 3:03 pm Post subject: |
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Im glad you finally got it worked out....the laminating machine is never working...I got mine a few years back and was told the same thing. Im sure you didnt do anything....its just Ecuador...lots of red tape and hurdles for EVERYTHING. but if you didnt have it, they wouldnt let you leave the country without fining you etc. So Im happy you got it. |
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