Our attorney has received this new information from the Ministry. It is unofficial now, but apparently, it will be made official with a press release some time next week. The following changes are effective immediately.
Change #1: As of April 14, no new visa applications will be accepted in Ecuador if the passport holder does not have at least 30 days remaining on his/her 90-day Tourist (T-3) visa . In other words, people cannot apply for a permanent residency visa or a temporary visa if they don’t have at least 30 days remaining. Applicants must leave the country and receive their visas outside of Ecuador if, in fact, they don’t have the required 30 days remaining.
This requirement applies to only the T-3 visa. It does not apply to temporary (12 type) visas.
Change #2: Those applying for dependent visas must wait until the independent visa holder has received a cedula. Once the independent visa holder has received a cedula, the application(s) for the dependent(s) can be submitted. In other words, independent and dependent visa applications cannot be submitted at the same time.