Cliff:
As you probably already understand, you will need a Visa to live here in permanent residency status. Ecuador has been very generous in granting Visas, especially to North Americans. The reason for this is that these immigrants bring money to Ecuador. One of the more popular and easy to get Visa is one for retiree's, which requires a continuous and permanent income equal to $800 a month for one person and $100 for each additional person. This is based on the premise that this is enough money to live on and the retiree would not need a job here. This income would be enough for the average Ecuadorian, but North Americans do tend to spend more. In any case, what few realize is that you are not allowed to work under many of the available Visas because the intention of granting a visa is not to take away a job from an Ecuadorian, but rather to provide outside income to the Ecuadorian economy. However, you can request and be given permission to work if it is job an Ecuadorian might not be able to fill: teaching English, for example. You will absolutely need this permission if you seek work here under most visas. So, the question for you is, what visa will you apply for? You may need to give this some thought.
Older threads discuss this in more detail and you can easily google information about specific visa requirements. Be certain you understand any work restrictions that apply to the visa you are interested in. I don't know, but I think that the only visa that would grant you work rights (if you don't have a retirement fund or annuity and need work) is a professional visa, and that is much harder to get. As with most other countries, Ecuador does not want to grant visas to someone who would fill a job that could be taken by an Ecuadorian.
As far as income you will need. The government's estimate, in your case $1,500, is doable, but would probably be very difficult for you. I would suggest that you will need at least $2,000 per month. Since the average income for Ecuadorians is less than $5,000 a year, you would be hard pressed to earn $2,000 per month. I am sorry to be so frank and maybe others have some good suggestions for achieving what you want. I never believe that something is impossible, but anything that seems impossible does take longer and requires perseverance. I hope you will find a way that meets your needs.
