Adventures in Immigration

[terminalmancer]

Woo! Good luck with the plan!

 

The ring looks great.

[Lars Porsenna]

Along with everything else there is this issue as well: https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/akz8g4/the-trump-admin-decided-against-effectively-stopping-immigrationfor-now?utm_source=vicenewsfacebook&fbclid=IwAR3t5houKi7PhNU-rvoMobMT738IgWrmjLYfmTM2YKog9Hjc26dW9e0oJWI

 

The furlough has been delayed, but this directly impacts me & my ambitions. As the descendant of immigrants, as like most people in this country, all I can say is I see echoes of in how my people (Italians) were treated when we came to this country.

 

Damon.

Edited October 1, 2020 by Lars Porsenna
politics

[Lars Porsenna]

In order to get married in Ecuador, I need several pieces of documentation:

 

1. Certificate of Marital Status, translated & apostilled.
2. Birth Certificate, translated & apostilled

There are other pieces of documentation necessary, but they do not apply to me (divorce certificates, death certificates...)

 

Today I stopped by the courthouse to pick up the Certificate of Marital Status. Only $10 and notarized. However, it is in English so I need to get a translator for that. And for my birth certificate. I located someone nearby that can do it, usually takes a day or two. 

 

Next up, though is to get the documents apostilled. What is that, you ask? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apostille_Convention

 

Basically it is like a notary for international documents. For that it will be a bit harder. For that I will need to travel to Harrisburg to get my documents apostilled. So I will be taking a day this week to do so.

 

One nice thing that came up is that her cousin is a lawyer in Guayaquil. This helps immensely; not only is she family, but she is located in the city we are going to marry in (in Ecuador I can only marry in Guayaquil, Cuenca or Quito). This makes things very convenient from that standpoint. Not that this process is exactly simple. But I am making progress towards my goal.

 

Damon.

Edited September 1, 2020 by Lars Porsenna
spelling

[kristof65]

19 minutes ago, Lars Porsenna said:

Next up, though is to get the documents apostilled. What is that, you ask?

Interesting to learn. 

[Lars Porsenna]

Went today to get my documents apostilled. Wouldn't you know it the state capital is shut down due to COVID concerns still (my county government buildings were not, to put it into perspective). So I had to drop them off with an SASE to return them to me when done. Working time 7-10 business days. So that puts me behind 2 weeks. I may miss my date of 10-5-20 because the documents need to be reviewed in Ecuador as well.

 

Damon.

[VitM]

That sucks.  Hopefully the turnaround time is much quicker than you expect.

[Lars Porsenna]

An update on things. 

 

I have had to change the date yet again, but it is only a minor adjustment. I will be flying down to Ecuador on 10 October. We have an interview schedules in Guayaquil on 13 October, & if everything is good to go, we will have the civil ceremony on 20 October. This also requires me to stay for 2 weeks rather than one, but this simply gives me more time to get to know the country, as well as total immersion in the Spanish language as well. Sort of like learning how to swim by being pushed into the deep end of the pool...

 

Damon.

[Lars Porsenna]

The latest from Ecuador https://drive.google.com/file/d/1yDwdt0Koz2Ua_VUW2EDhn_mV8UosWpUC/view?fbclid=IwAR3Uw-0UDT1gekZdj7ma4ByqfigRsY4tdZlO2Hf2tnLuB0ObvQXaoU5kg64:

 

Quote

The National COE, in permanent session on Friday, September 11, 2020, unanimously by the full members, resolved: Issue the guidelines that will be mandatory once the state of exception regime has ended.

Upon completion of the period of validity of the renewal of the state of exception issued by Executive Decree 1126, Constitutional Opinion No. 5-20-EE / 20 and in strict observance of article 226 of the Constitution of the Republic, for the purposes of developing and implementing measures of prevention and control to contain the massive contagion of COVID-19 in Ecuador, the organisms and institutions of the Central State and the Governments Decentralized Self-Employed, in exercise of their powers, must develop and implement regulations and public policies that are adapted to the ordinary regime to face the health crisis, in a coordinated way.

1. To the governing state authorities in matters of health, education, transit, ground transportation, security, physical activities and work, according to their competence, they must: 

 

• Continue with the issuance of public policies and standards that regulate and control in-hospital and out-of-hospital care, of the people infected with COVID-19. 

• Provide the limitation and sale of alcoholic beverages under the current legal system, coordinating with the GAD's the application of measures regarding the consumption of these beverages. 

• Issue the pertinent regulations to guarantee health and education of children and adolescents and higher education, establishing various forms of education to guarantee your access.

• Issue normative acts that regulate the development of activities physical in closed spaces.

 

• Issue or modify regulatory acts of vehicle restriction at the national. Except for the GAD’s that have the respective transit competition.

 

• Issue normative acts of regulation on transport interprovincial, intraprovincial and intracantonal, according to the Ordinary.

• Continue with the regulation, control and monitoring of the guidelines issued through ministerial agreements that allow the labor reactivation.

2. To all the organisms and institutions of the State, guarantee the right access to public goods and services, consider provisions that do not exceed the capacity of closed places; it should be established telematic mechanisms for the attention to citizens. In this sense a public policy should be undertaken that is directed to the attention citizen through digital portals, provide and disseminate through the most appropriate channels the information necessary for the citizens know about the pandemic, its effects, the measures extraordinary events and any related public interest data.

3. To the Association of Municipalities of Ecuador, it is recommended to urge cantonal and metropolitan GADs, so that through the respective ordinances, regulate, authorize and control:

• Biosecurity and social distancing measures in spaces public, public shows and use of beaches (in use of their powers may impose sanctions on those who violate said measures).

• The development of economic activities, operation, schedules attention, as well as the capacity and security measures that these locals may have.

• In the cases of regulations for the opening of bars, nightclubs, amusement centers and any activity that does not guarantee social distancing, in coordination with the Ministry of Government.

• Restrictions of physical activities in closed places in coordination with the competent authorities. 

 

• The restriction of motor vehicle mobilization in its territory cantonal, in the case of municipalities that have jurisdiction.

• Regulation of interprovincial, intraprovincial and intracantonal, according to the ordinary regime provided that the Council National Competition Authority has transferred these functions to him and in coordination with the governing body.

 

• The consumption of alcoholic beverages in authorized places, in coordination with the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Government.

• Restriction of physical activities in closed places in coordination with the governing body in sport.

4. Formulate and execute security policies and citizen coexistence in coordination with the National Police and the community. The bodies of municipal or metropolitan control agents are empowered to prevent, deter, monitor and control public space in the field of its jurisdiction and competence.

5. In order to maintain the actions that have reduced the impact of the pandemic, the National COE, presents the specific guidelines that each authority must take into consideration when issue the relevant legal and public policy instruments.

5.1 Requirement for RT-PCR tests to enter the country: As a requirement for entering the country, through any of the entry (air, land or sea) all persons must present the RT-PCR test to the Ministry of Health staff with negative result, issued maximum 10 days before arrival in the country, the validity of the test of those citizens who leave and return to Ecuador at that time.

5.2 Mandatory preventive isolation (APO): For people who enter the country through any of the entry (air, land or sea) that do not have the RT- PCR duly justified before the post of the Ministry of Health Public must do the Mandatory Preventive Isolation (APO) by 10 days. The place of the APO will be the one that the person indicates at their entrance to the country and in the case of presenting symptoms, it will be handled under the condition of a patient with suspected Covid-19.

5.3 National educational system: Classes will be suspended in person, we continue with the classes under virtual mode - remote, complying with the COVID-19 Educational Plan. The authorization of pilot plans carried out by the National COE may be incorporate new institutions and new modalities in this pilot, the Return to classes will be optional, educational institutions must also guarantee virtual education modalities.

5.4 Higher education: The development and implementation of pilot plans for the progressive return of activities, for this purpose it must be coordinated with the Council of Higher Education and Educational Institutions Superior all this within the framework of the responsible autonomy of the universities and polytechnic schools.

 

5.5 Work: Progressive Return to Work in Public Institutions: The highest authorities of each institution will decide the return to the activities in person, telework should be privileged, in the cases that are possible. The provisions set forth in the current legal regulations and other protocols issued for a return safe to work.

Progressive Return to Work in the Private Sector: In order to allow the development of work activities once once the state of exception has ended, it will be the employer's obligation adopt all measures that are within its reach, regarding hygiene, safety and health prevention to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in your workers. It will be the sole responsibility of the employer, through the internal health and safety units or departments, determine the people who according to their assessment and the risk of contagion in the activities that it executes, can attend in person. It will be the obligation of the workers to abide by all the rules and prevention procedures established by the employer. People in vulnerable conditions or care group
priority: In accordance with the "Occupational Health and Safety Protocol for the public and private sector ”, approved by the Ministry of Health Public and Ministry of Labor, the people who are in conditions of vulnerability and priority attention groups, as indicated in the document, that they should not attend the place of work, they must justify such condition before the institutional doctor or occupational so that it evaluates and authorizes the continuity of work to through telecommuting.

 

5.6 Traffic lights: It is maintained as an emergency management tool on the base of epidemiological indicators and citizen behaviors that will guide and issue recommendations for mayors and Municipal, metropolitan COE, for decision-making and strengthening of health management in the territory.

 

5.7 National Emergency Operations Committee: The National Emergency Operations Committee and the structure of the management of the health crisis remains operational, with the responsibility to continue carrying out coordination activities, monitoring, analysis and support, which ensure adequate management for the control of the pandemic, having to generate alerts for the taking of decisions, through the Technical Tables and Working Groups.

5.8 Biosecurity provisions: The biosecurity provisions issued in the protocols authorized by the National COE, it is recommended to citizenship its application in accordance with the rules of DISTANCING SOCIAL, USE OF A MASK and PERMANENT HAND WASHING.

 

5.9 Participation of the Armed Forces: Within the framework of its powers and in coordination with the PPNN participate in security and public order control activities.

5.10 Participation of the National Police: The National Police will guarantee the fulfillment of its mission constitutional law and will continue to respond to prevent, contain and manage the health crisis in order to protect the population.

 

5.11 Land Borders and Sea Ports: The Armed Forces, National Police and Migration, will be the institutions in charge of issuing specific guidelines in this regard. Land borders and sea ports remain closed. Only the Binational Service Centers remain open in Border Rumichaca with Colombia and Huaquillas with Peru for activities of foreign trade and entry of national and foreign citizens residents according to requirements.

 

5.12 Mobility and Transit: Vehicular circulation will be carried out without restriction on the state road network, the exclusive control of the Police being in charge according to competence National and Transit Commission of Ecuador in their respective jurisdictions. Corresponds to Decentralized Autonomous Governments provide free transit facilities on the roads of this network that pass through their jurisdictions. It is up to the GAD's that maintain the competence of traffic control in their jurisdictions regulate mobility in co-responsibility in order to guarantee a orderly circulation between canton and canton.

 

• Interprovincial Transportation remains with 75% of the capacity and providing services from land terminals authorized by the GAD’s

 

• Tourist land transport that has an enabling title granted by the competent authority, will not be subject to restrictions mobility as long as they carry the contract for the provision of services.

• Private and commercial transportation will be subject to the regulations that are established in the respective ordinance in the GAD's with competence for control (TYPE A). In the rest of the cantons guarantees the free circulation without restriction of the plate number.

5.13 Safe conduct:
The safe-conduct issued by the Ministry of Government, Ministry of Foreign Relations and Human Mobility, and by the National Risk and Emergency Management, will be valid in those cantons that maintain circulation restrictions until October 31, 2020, keeping the broadcast platform activated until that date. The Decentralized Autonomous Governments will guarantee free movement from front-line officials, and from the production sectors, trade, strategic, prioritized and their related.

5.14 Not circulating today: The Association of Municipalities of Ecuador is recommended to coordinate with the GADs the standardization of circulation restrictions vehicles generated in their jurisdictions, so as not to affect the right to free mobility and transit nationwide.

5.15 Public shows: No city hall at the national level will grant permits for this type of events, if there is a change in this provision, it will be announced opportunely.

5.16 Bars, Clubs, Amusement Centers and Tolerance Centers: The definition of openings corresponds to the GAD's, having to previously have the support of the health organ that from the COE Cantonal guide this decision; For control activities, recommends hosting the opening process, hours and established capacity in the Inter-ministerial Agreement signed by the Ministries of Government, Health and Tourism; control activities are coordinated between entities municipal and national.

5.17 Beaches: The Decentralized Autonomous Governments of the coastal profile, According to their competition, they will regulate the public space of the beaches of their jurisdiction including capacity and opening / closing hours. I know maintains monitoring through the DISTANCE 2 system of the SIS ECU -911. Those that are in Protected Areas, their opening will be regulated and authorized by the Ministry of Environment and Water, as the governing body.

5.18 Validity of protocols: All protocols and instruments generated from the National COE are keep in force. Given in the National Service of Risk and Emergency Management, in the Plenary session of the National COE - Virtual, on Friday, September 11, 2020.

 

Damon.

Edited September 15, 2020 by Lars Porsenna

[TGP]

Godspeed Damon.

 

It appears as if we'll not get to hear the end of this story.

I hope it turns out to be an adventure but I am concerned that it could all be a trap. Best of luck.

 

[Lars Porsenna]

18 hours ago, TGP said:

Godspeed Damon.

 

It appears as if we'll not get to hear the end of this story.

I hope it turns out to be an adventure but I am concerned that it could all be a trap. Best of luck.

 

 

I am in the process of transferring all the posts to a blog. See damonsadventuresinimmigration.blogspot.com

 

Damon.

[TaleSpinner]

After discussing it with the Mod staff and getting Damon's permission, we decided to move this out of Beekeepers.  It is a very good discussion that would/will only be political if people choose to make it so; please don't, as I for one really want to hear their story,  Thanks @Lars Porsenna for sharing this with us.

[Lars Porsenna]

A quick update: I received an email from the lawyer in Ecuador that my document has been accepted & is correct. To review, this was my Affidavit of Marital Status, showing that I am not currently married, & nor was I ever married. This document as well as the Apostille document, were translated into Spanish for the local Ecuadorian authorities.

On the part of my fiancée, she has just received her new cedula, which is like a national ID card. This shows her marital status right on the card (in this case soltera for single & never married). Also she needs to apply for a Curaduria. This is a legal process of transfer of guardianship. I was able to (finally) find some information on it at: https://centrojuridicongya.blogspot.com ... ecial.html

 

Quote

When a person exercises parental authority over their children and decides to marry or remarry, they need to go through a legal process to be able to marry. This applies to various cases, both for single parents and / or mothers, widowers or divorcees, as long as they are in charge of their minor children.Nov 26, 2018

 

With all of this, we are much closer now to getting married & fulfilling our mutual dreams.

Damon.

[Lars Porsenna]

On 8/21/2020 at 8:55 AM, VitM said:

 

I think there's supposed to be a fairly big jump in USCIS fees, depending on particulars, that goes into effect Oct. 02, 2020.

 

Interestingly I found this article:

 

https://rapidvisa.com/federal-judge-blocks-uscis-fee-increase/?fbclid=IwAR1kHWr8avI96WCeYvzCVCFKnxjxTFTkD8HhGbIZAEgEtud9WIQKfFdJ0RM

 

There is an injunction against the fee increases. THis may help me when I decide which Visa to apply for after our civil marriage.

 

Damon.

[Citrine]

Congratulations, this is an exciting journey!

[VitM]

16 hours ago, Lars Porsenna said:

 

Interestingly I found this article:

 

https://rapidvisa.com/federal-judge-blocks-uscis-fee-increase/?fbclid=IwAR1kHWr8avI96WCeYvzCVCFKnxjxTFTkD8HhGbIZAEgEtud9WIQKfFdJ0RM

 

There is an injunction against the fee increases. THis may help me when I decide which Visa to apply for after our civil marriage.

 

Damon.

 

Well, that's awesome.  We had been working on our paperwork concurrently with getting stuff ready for our wedding and just sent off our packet earlier this week.  So now we're in the "all done until the government gets back to us" phase.  This will hopefully make things easier and less stressful for you guys.