Quiet

You want to chat? Can do.

I worked with a very sweet and enchanting young lady from Ecuador, she was such a hard worker and so nice. But everybody else on the staff assumed she was Mexican, just because she spoke Spanish. I honestly don't think she understood the prejudice she was up against.

But yes, in Ecuador, I found the people to be very nice indeed. Kind and good down-to-earth real people. They are a huge asset for their country.

And P.S.--I hate Christmas in America. I'm already drowning in red and green advertisements, junky appliances I have no use for, desperate shrieking marketing, made-in-China fat red Santas, and the assaulting horror of inescapable 'holiday' music.

I'd rather be in Timbuktu right now.

gardener1 wrote:

I hate Christmas in America. I'm already drowning in red and green advertisements, junky appliances I have no use for, desperate shrieking marketing, made-in-China fat red Santas, and the assaulting horror of inescapable 'holiday' music.

I'd rather be in Timbuktu right now.

Sorry to see you use hate and Christmas in the same sentence.  I have learned to block out the noise, let people enjoy Black Friday if they are so inclined, its all part of the freedoms we enjoy.  Our local mall had Sara Palin signing books, purchased for $29.95, about the commercialization of Christmas.  She is too stupid to appreciate the irony involved, it was front page news here.  I don't know about other Christian third world countries, but in the Philippines the hype starts on 11/2.  Perhaps Ecuador is different, not as many modes of attack.

mugtech wrote:

have learned to block out the noise, let people enjoy Black Friday if they are so inclined, its all part of the freedoms we enjoy.

Would you like to elaborate?

Which freedoms might those be?

FATCA for example?

Or perhaps you have a better illustration of said 'freedoms'.

gardener1 wrote:

Which freedoms might those be?

FATCA for example?

The freedom to renounce your USA citizenship and ignore FATCA anywhere else in the world

Right, so the US government stole my wages for 40+ years in the name of Social Security, and you think that NOW, now that my money is gone I have the 'right' to renounce my citizenship.

Good idea. I'll percolate that.

Meanwhile, I'll be filling out umpteen godforsaken forms to the IRS into perpetuity.....and beyond!

Agree with using "hate" with Christmas....

As mentioned in Philippines where I am an expat with wife and son ready to blast out of this toilet., literally...they start celebrating the economic value at the beginning of November...now it's utterly insane with fire crackers, drinking and shop till you drop ads....

When I was a small lad...living in New York cold Hudson valley at Christmas it was mostly smiles, cheerful season with the emphasis on it's true meaning...just break up the word folks...CHRIST MAS= a CELEBRATION (MAS) FOR CHRIST WHO WAS BORN ON THIS DATE.

Got a little carried away...hope to spread some wisdom and joy here cuz no one left in USA for me...all hopefully with Christ.

Hang in folks and if anyone wants information on most parts of the world, I have it for you...except Ecuador which is my final resting place...so any help will be blessed.

Harold, RV and Kristoff...coming to your local community soon to spread cheer and wisdom...

Pray tell what is FATCA?

NOW MY FRIENDS LET US NOT GET CARRIED AWAY ON THIS SITE...LET US JOIN TOGETHER FOR OTHERS WHO HAVE BEEN LITERALLY SCREWED BY OUR GOVERNMENT...

I LOVE MY COUNTRY BUT DISLIKE WHAT IT IS DOING VISA VI POLITICIANS AND THE NEW AMERICAN LIBERAL MOVEMENT...I WEEP FOR HER...MY COUNTRY WAS OF THEE I CRY OUT.

GOD BLESS AND HANG IN WE WILL MAKE IT AND ALSO CREATE A KINDER ENVIRONMENT...ECUADOR IS THE SOIL AND WE HAVE THE SEED TO GROW THERE.

HAROLD

COPING IN PHILIPPINES...

bretagne888--

If you wish to go blind with government theft of your savings, investments, and lifetime earnings as a US citizen on the planet earth start here---

http://www.irs.gov/Businesses/Corporati … 28FATCA%29

More on spot analysis, largely focused on US expats in Canada, this is stellar website with plenty of useful links: http://isaacbrocksociety.ca/

This is useful as well: http://www.iexpats.com/fatca-makes-us-e … -outcasts/

bretagne888 wrote:

Pray tell what is FATCA?

The Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act is the weapon used by the IRS to insure that USA citizens pay income taxes on their global income by "convincing" other governments to help in the total reporting.  Of course USA citizens receive a foreign earned income exclusion on about $95,000 of earnings, and can take a foreign tax credit for any foreign taxes paid on any kind of foreign income.  US citizens are required to report balances in foreign accounts if they exceed $10,000 in total on any one day during the year.  As a result most USA citizens keep their money in USA banks and draw on it as needed, keeping their foreign bank account balances at a minimum.  Also a good idea since not all foreign banks have FDIC like insurance, as people recently lost out with certain institutions in Ecuador.

If you are going for a pension visa in Ecuador, then you should be able to ignore the whole foreign income problem, and as long as one half of your SS benefits plus other income totals less than $32,000 you should be able to not even file a form 1040. With a child under age 17 you may qualify for a refundable child tax credit, so you may want to file if not required to be the refund. Living out of the USA for 330 days or more also excludes your having to have health insurance for your family under Obamacare.

An investors visa means if you get a $25,000 CD in an Ecuador bank, then the balance and yearly income are reportable to the IRS.

bretagne888 wrote:

As mentioned in Philippines where I am an expat with wife and son ready to blast out of this toilet., literally...they start celebrating the economic value at the beginning of November...now it's utterly insane with fire crackers, drinking and shop till you drop ads....

Hang in folks and if anyone wants information on most parts of the world, I have it for you...except Ecuador which is my final resting place...so any help will be blessed.

One thing that may make life in Ecuador for your wife more difficult is the lack of other Filipinas in Ecuador, especially away from Quito.  I also hope your wife has experienced climates other than the Philippines, for unless you are going to live on the coast or in the Amazon it will be some kind of change for her. My wife is from Ilocos Sur.  Good Luck and Merry Christmas!!!

Thank you so much!

I am in one respect that I fall into the cracks with the initial game agency.

Nevertheless need to file for 2013 to get child tax credit I believe even though my wives son is not mine and hers from a deceased husband here in Phil...I am sole support and have residence in Phil..for last 18 months..so I believe I can get a tax credit for the step son...I maintain a property in Arizona and a under the radar one in Cal.   

At my age let them eat beans...at 71 I have given up on the battle and look for peace and need to get my wife and son out of this toilet and to a country that is tolerable to say the least..

Going in two weeks to get wife a "non immigration" visa for USA..maybe and maybe not?  At a minimum a "transit visa" for trip to ecuador...

I will apply for the pension visa before we go so it will not waste time when we get there...any suggestions?

Got the income pension SS...$2,000/mo...some extra investment cash and healthy enough to teach or flip burgers...lol

Wife is certified care giver/acupuncturist/Cosmetologist...
so I can be house husband LOL.

Keep in touch ,,,,need a Pennsylvanian to relate to as I have 3 children in PA. and lived worked their for 25 years...

swap tales..

God Bless...Harold, RV and Kris

Mr.Mug:

Wife is young 26, strong and accustom to both extremes from northern Luzon to Southern Islands / mountains of cool to dry areas. 

Adaptable!

I spent 27 years in the desert and longer than I care to remember in VN, Russia and So. Pacific area.

Thank you for your observations and advise..works for me.

Keep in touch...GB  Harold

bretagne888 wrote:

Nevertheless need to file for 2013 to get child tax credit I believe even though my wives son is not mine and hers from a deceased husband here in Phil...I am sole support and have residence in Phil..for last 18 months..so I believe I can get a tax credit for the step son.

Unfortunately the tax laws become more complicated for non-resident alien spouses and dependents.  You need to apply for some kind of Tax ID number since they do not have USA SS numbers.  Good luck!!  If you are considering Cuenca, I suggest you get in contact with Nards Barley, he is looking for participants for his Boomer Welcoming Committee.  Sounds like you will have the economic wherewithal to live a good life in Ecuador.  To discuss PA, please send me a PM.

bretagne888 wrote:

Mr.Mug:

Wife is young 26, strong and accustom to both extremes from northern Luzon to Southern Islands / mountains of cool to dry areas. 

Adaptable!

I spent 27 years in the desert and longer than I care to remember in VN, Russia and So. Pacific area.

Thank you for your observations and advise..works for me.

Keep in touch...GB  Harold

Filipinas are famous for being adaptable, they are the Philippines greatest export.  Mountains in Ecuador slightly higher than in the Philippines, but her right attitude will make all the difference.

Something must have happened to my settings as I did not get any notification of any of these posts.

janet119 wrote:

Something must have happened to my settings as I did not get any notification of any of these posts.

All's well that ends well.

I would consider yourself lucky,, it got sorta governmental,,, and opinionated.

Denise in Denver wrote:

I would consider yourself lucky,, it got sorta governmental,,, and opinionated.

Yes, who would expect to read opinions and about government on an Expat.com?

Dear Members,

Please note that we do not allow political debates on the forum.

As we are on an expatriate social network, let's try to keep up the spirit of mutual help

Thank you for your understanding,

Hasnaa
Expat.com Team

Hasnaa wrote:

note that we do not allow political debates on the forum.

Even if the debate is about local (Ecuador) politics and how it pertains to expats?

Hasnaa wrote:

Dear Members,

Please note that we do not allow political debates on the forum.

As we are on an expatriate social network, let's try to keep up the spirit of mutual help

Thank you for your understanding,

Hasnaa
Expat.com Team

It's not about politics, it's about theft.....oh wait....

Now Now, Mugs and Gardener, you both apply logic, and reason. Don't you know this is the 21st century. No room for old time thinkers like you. Follow blindly, have no opinions, question nothing, accept everything, avoid all responsibility, blame anyone else when you mess up, let others fix your problems, smile and think only good thoughts, and everything will work out just fine. Reality is such a mean nasty concept, proven to be a figment of our imaginations. Really, how have you two managed to survive so long with such outdated thinking?

Long live the stupid people of the world, and the stupid revolution of the 21st century.

I've been quiet since I received info on the documentation I'l need for residency.  Can anyone tel me how you can have a three month old marriage certificate ready when you're trying to sell a home and have no idea how long it will be on the market?  I have to get my police report from 2 different states and it's looking like a dreadful process already before I even start!   LOL       Thankful to be able to take a holiday break before all the FUN begins!  Merry Christmas, or Happy whatever holidays you and yours enjoy this time of year!   XOXO

I so hear you. I found I have the wrong format birth certificate, the police checks are a couple of months behind, I cannot get the same day police check because i have not lived in the area for 5 years. I want my passport in my maiden name, but require a governement issued photo ID in that name to gte it. So i had to change my health care card into my maiden name to get my passport in my maiden name.
red tape...UGH

Laura,
Firstly, don't stress. You'll be cool. Question: Are you sure you need two police reports? If you guy's have been residents in Dallas for the past 5 years, you're good to go. If you go with the FBI report, it will cover wherever you have resided in the US.
I was very fortunate to have an Ecuadorian consulate in my home town, so the timing was really easy for me. I got all my documents apostilled 2 weeks before my departure.
Good Luck to you both.... you'll do fine.
Best Wishes,
Neil

ZenSPIKE wrote:

Laura,
Firstly, don't stress. You'll be cool. Question: Are you sure you need two police reports? If you guy's have been residents in Dallas for the past 5 years, you're good to go. If you go with the FBI report, it will cover wherever you have resided in the US.
I was very fortunate to have an Ecuadorian consulate in my home town, so the timing was really easy for me. I got all my documents apostilled 2 weeks before my departure.
Good Luck to you both.... you'll do fine.
Best Wishes,
Neil

Neil's got good advice here. In fact, even if you have lived in more than two states in the last 5 years I'd just go with the most recent one and provide one police report. They aren't actually going to check and have no way to know even if they tried. Hell, I lived in Afghanistan and S. Korea before coming to Ecuador, so I just simplified things for myself and everyone else by only providing a police report for the sate I lived in 4 years ago. Since getting an Afghan police report would have been impossible, and I was living in Korea illegaly.

Good to know I was over thinking things and perhaps it won't be too bad.  Unless they discover that murder on my police record from 2 years ago......LOL!   just kidding folks, no wadded panties please!



Will we need birth certificates?  My current husband is my second, therefore my current marriage certificate does NOT have my maiden name on it, but my first marriage surname, which doesn't match my birth certificate.   If we could get away with just the passport, the marriage certificate and criminal check, I'd be okay.  If not, would I need marriage and divorce info from the first schmuck, I mean husband? lol!

My experience was that I did not need my birth certificate. I was told the requirement change was for exactly the dilemma you find yourself in. In actuality, it is a redundant requirement as the highest form of identification you have from the US is your passport, which clearly states your DOB.
That being said, I did bring my B/C, just to be on the safe side. My attorney promptly gave it back to me when I presented my docs to him.
But as they say " Your mileage may vary "
Good Luck
Neil

Lauratort wrote:

Good to know I was over thinking things and perhaps it won't be too bad.  Unless they discover that murder on my police record from 2 years ago......LOL!   just kidding folks, no wadded panties please!



Will we need birth certificates?  My current husband is my second, therefore my current marriage certificate does NOT have my maiden name on it, but my first marriage surname, which doesn't match my birth certificate.   If we could get away with just the passport, the marriage certificate and criminal check, I'd be okay.  If not, would I need marriage and divorce info from the first schmuck, I mean husband? lol!

I would bring it, just in case, since there is so much variation from office to office and clerk to clerk. You might not need it, but if you do, getting it ordered and appostilled while you're in Ecuador is very difficult. I needed mine, and getting it here took 2 months and cost about $100 when all was said and done. The first one I ordered was mistakenly sent USPS by the appostille, and never arrived. FedX was the way to go.

Before sending FEDEX to Cuenca, make sure they have reopened their Cuenca office.  DHL also handles express mail to Cuenca.  Last I heard, FEDEX deliveries involved a trip almost to Guayaquil - but that was in August, maybe they have changed now.

I dont know if this is going to help anybody, but just in case:

In Ecuador when a baby is born the gov creates a page for him/her in a book wich is keep in the Registro Civil.

That page will have the date of  birth, parents names, nationality of the parents.
When the baby gets the cedula, his page will show the cedula #
When the baby needs a passport, the gov oficce will use the same cedula# for it.
If one day the baby pays taxes the IRS will use the cedula # as ID
When the baby grows up and if marries someone the page will show the name of the spouse, the date when they got married.
Also, they will attached a page with the same info in the "Marriages Book"
If the baby has a baby the page will show the name of the new born.
If the baby dies, they will attached a doc from the dr.

Why it makes sense?

Everything goes around the info in that page.
Everything needs to have the same info

Full names
Full parents names
Cedula #
Passport and cedula is the same # and need to show the same name, spell it the same way
The marriage certificate will show the full name, the cedula #
The death certificate will show the full name, the cedula #

Everything have to have the same names.

Is the reason why sometimes people get confused about what doc are need and how they supoused to be like.

This is a tip:

Names exactly the same in every paperwork that you have
Passport
income proof
Birth cert
Marriage cert

An advice, dont talk too much. Dont explain too much. If they dont ask, dont explain it. Dont point at your own paperwork. If everything looks fine, let them think are fine.

Sometimes people want to explain why the passport is this way or way the birth cert is that other way and that just creates a mess. Makes the oficcer look for mistakes.

Silence is better.