Cuenca Immigration Office
Our Ecuadorian resident visa has been approved!
As with all things government, there are still some paperwork steps before we have it in our hands, but we received an approval email two days ago, and were told to go to the immigration office today to get the next phase of papers to sign. Turns out this set of papers is just a document to file with another department that will tie the condo we own to our visa. Normally this takes about 10 days, but we were told to expect 15 days — probably because of the holidays.
At this point though, there is no longer any doubt that we will be accepted. The steps we took while still in California to get extra documentation, and double up when in doubt, paid off.
The email we received was:
“NOTIFICACION DE VISA
Estimado Señor JOHNSON BURT LOUIS Y ESPOSA
Por medio del presente, cúmpleme informarle que su solicitud de visa 9-II Y 9-VI han sido aprobadas, por lo que solicito acuda a las oficinas del Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores ubicada en la Manuel J Calle 2-100 el día viernes 20 de diciembre de 2013 a las 09h00, con la finalidad de:
1ero: a las 09h00 retirar su certificado de custodia de bien, para llevarlo a la Registraduria de la Propiedad.
2do: al entregar todos los documentos al encargado, emitirá un certificado de custodia sustento de la visa que ha sido aprobada.
3ero: cuando usted tenga este documento, por favor acercarse inmediatamente a nuestras oficinas para ingresar el documento en su expediente, dado que será necesario agendar una cita con el departamento de extranjería Y poder emitir para usted la visa 9-II Y 9-VI, para lo cual deberá traer su pasaporte y $320 por persona para el respectivo pago del arancel.”
I have gotten so I can actually figure out the meaning of most Spanish writing if I have a context in which to work. To be sure, I put this one into Google Translate though, and read the following glowing report:
“Dear Sir BURT JOHNSON LOUIS AND WIFE
Hereby, I wish to inform you that your visa application 9-9-II and VI have been approved, so I apply go to the offices of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs located at 2-100 Manuel J Street on Friday 20 December 2013 at 09h00, in order to:
1st: 09h00 to withdraw its certificate of custody as well, to put it into Registraduria Property.
2do: to deliver all documents to the manager, issue a certificate of custody support the visa is approved.
3rd: when you have this document, please immediately come to our offices to sign the document in his file, as it will be necessary to schedule an appointment with the department of immigration and to deliver to you the visa 9-II and 9-VI, for which you must bring your passport and $ 320 per person for the payment of the respective tariff.”