Consular Services
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Immigrant Visas
GENERAL INFORMATION FOR IMMIGRANT VISA APPLICANTS
We understand that moving to a different country implies a great amount of stress and hard work.
To help you out in the process we have prepared a list that focuses on key points and terms you
should become familiar with. If you are a U.S. citizen planning on moving to Ecuador, the
following information will be useful to you.
A visa applicant may choose to apply for the type of residence visa that best fits their interest and
personal situation. Immigrant visas are approved in Ecuador only. This means that an Ecuadorian
consulate cannot accept immigrant visa applications. Specific information for each kind of visa can be found below.
All public documents that you intend to use in Ecuador must be legalized with an
Apostille. The Apostille is NOT a seal or stamp from a public notary. It is NOT either the seal or
stamp from the document's issuing agency affixed in it. The Apostille is a special legalization
issued by the corresponding Secretary of State. For instance, if you need your birth certificate
legalized with the Apostille and you were born in Maryland, you must contact the Secretary of
State of Maryland to request an Apostille on your birth certificate. In this regards, documents
such as, but not limited to: birth certificate, marriage certificate, criminal background
check, letter of income, professional degrees, etc. must be legalized with an Apostille. For
more information on how to get an Apostille in the U.S. please visit the U.S. Department of State
web site at http://www.state.gov/m/a/auth/c16921.htm
All documents written in English must have their corresponding notarized translation
into Spanish. The translation must be performed by a third party and legalized with the Apostilled
as well. This means that if you are bilingual, you cannot translate your own documents. In the
event that you are unable to get the translations done in the U.S., they can be prepared and
notarized in Ecuador.
Criminal background check is one of the documents required to apply for an immigrant
visa. You must get one from all the places where you lived in the last five years. We recommend
to get the criminal background check no more than a month prior to your scheduled trip to
Ecuador.
For detailed information about requirements for immigrant visas, please check the following
link
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