Amparo (Dependent) Visa vs. Family Permanent Residency — Which One Is Right for Your Family?

Ecuador offers two family-based residency paths that look similar on the surface — both involve a foreign national joining a family member who already has legal status in Ecuador. But the Amparo (Dependent) Visa and the Family Permanent Residency Visa are fundamentally different categories with different eligibility gates, different durations, different costs, different levels of independence, and dramatically different long-term consequences for the applicant's life in Ecuador.

The confusion is understandable. Both visas involve a family relationship. Both require documentation of that relationship. Both result in a cédula and the right to live in Ecuador. But the similarities end there. The distinction between these two visas comes down to a single variable: your sponsor's immigration status in Ecuador.

• If your sponsor holds a temporary residency visa (Pensioner, Rentista, Investor, Professional, Mercosur, or any other 2-year category), you are in Amparo territory.
• If your sponsor is an Ecuadorian citizen or holds permanent residency, you are in Family Permanent territory.

This guide walks through every dimension of the comparison — eligibility, cost, duration, independence, qualifying relationships, progression paths, and the real-world scenarios that bring families to each visa. By the end, you will know exactly which visa applies to your situation and why.

A note on a third visa that overlaps with this comparison: Ecuador also offers a dedicated Permanent Residency by Marriage visa for spouses and registered de facto partners of Ecuadorian citizens or permanent residents. That visa is covered in depth in our Marriage Permanent Residency guide. This comparison focuses on the Amparo vs. Family Permanent distinction — where the qualifying relationship is broader than just a spouse. When the marriage-based visa is relevant to a comparison point, we'll flag it.

Before you research documents, calculate costs, or contact a translator, answer one question: What is your sponsor's current immigration status in Ecuador?

The answer sorts you into one of two paths with zero ambiguity.

Path A — Sponsor holds a TEMPORARY residency visa:

Your sponsor came to Ecuador on a Pensioner, Rentista, Investor, Professional, Mercosur, or other temporary residency visa. That visa was issued for a 2-year period. Your sponsor has not yet converted to permanent residency (which requires 21 continuous months on the temporary visa before applying). In this scenario, the only family-based visa available to you is the Amparo (Dependent) Visa.

The Amparo visa is derivative — it derives from your sponsor's temporary status. Your visa matches your sponsor's visa duration. When your sponsor's temporary visa expires, yours expires. When your sponsor renews, you renew. When your sponsor loses status, you lose status.

Path B — Sponsor is an Ecuadorian CITIZEN or holds PERMANENT residency:

Your sponsor is either a natural-born or naturalized Ecuadorian citizen (holding an Ecuadorian cédula de ciudadanía), or a foreigner who has already been granted Ecuadorian permanent residency. In this scenario, you qualify for the Family Permanent Residency Visa — assuming the family relationship falls within Ecuador's 2nd-degree consanguinity or affinity framework.

The Family Permanent visa is independent — it grants you permanent residency from day one. It does not expire. It does not depend on your sponsor maintaining any particular status. Once issued, your permanent residency is yours.

There is no overlap between these paths. A temporary-resident sponsor cannot offer you Family Permanent Residency. An Ecuadorian citizen or permanent-resident sponsor cannot offer you an Amparo visa (they offer you something better). The sponsor's status is the sorting mechanism, and it is binary.

Why this matters so much:

Families regularly show up at the Cancillería expecting one visa and discovering they qualify for (or are limited to) the other. A mother planning to join her son in Ecuador may expect the easy permanent path — only to discover her son is still on a temporary Rentista visa and hasn't hit the 21-month mark. She's Amparo-only until he upgrades. Conversely, a father planning to file for the Amparo visa to join his daughter in Ecuador may not realize his daughter became a naturalized Ecuadorian citizen last year — and he actually qualifies for something far better.

Verify first, spend money second. The verification is simple: ask your sponsor for a clear scan of both sides of their cédula. If it says *ECUATORIANO/A* — citizen, Family Permanent path. If it shows a residency category with a 2-year expiration — temporary resident, Amparo path. If it shows permanent residency status — permanent resident, Family Permanent path. This 10-minute check determines every decision that follows.

The following table captures every major dimension of comparison between the two visas. Reference this table throughout the guide — the subsequent sections expand on each row.

The table makes the structural difference stark: Amparo is a temporary, derivative, fragile status that ties you to your sponsor's visa cycle. Family Permanent is an independent, indefinite, robust status that you hold in your own right.

And here is the irony that surprises nearly everyone: Family Permanent Residency ($225) is cheaper than Amparo ($250). The superior visa costs less. The price difference is small — $25 — but the symbolic point is unmistakable: Ecuador's fee structure was not designed to make the lesser visa a discount product. If you qualify for Family Permanent, you get better status for less money.

The Visa de Residencia Temporal de Amparo — the Amparo or dependent visa — is Ecuador's mechanism for keeping immediate family members together during a sponsor's temporary residency period. The word *amparo* means "protection" in Spanish, and the name is telling: this visa shelters dependents, not establishes independent standing.

Who qualifies:

• Spouse (civil marriage, inscribed in Ecuador's Registro Civil if married abroad)
• Registered de facto partner (unión de hecho, registered at Registro Civil)
• Minor children (under 18)
• In some cases, parents (discretionary)

Notice what is not included: siblings, grandparents, grandchildren, in-laws, adult children. If your relationship to the sponsor falls outside this narrow list, the Amparo visa is unavailable — and Family Permanent requires the sponsor to be a citizen or permanent resident. If neither path fits, you need an independent visa basis (Pensioner, Rentista, Professional, etc.).

How it works — five key characteristics:

1. Duration matches the sponsor's visa. You get whatever time remains on the sponsor's temporary visa, not an independent 2-year window.
2. Renewal is tied to the sponsor. When the sponsor's visa expires, you must refile.
3. Sponsor must maintain valid status. If the sponsor's visa is revoked or expires, your Amparo is simultaneously invalidated.
4. Total cost: $250 per filing cycle.
5. Temporary residency rules apply — same absence limits and presence requirements as the sponsor.

Common Amparo scenario: An American retiree on a Pensioner visa ($320) brings their spouse on Amparo ($250). After 21 months, the Pensioner converts to permanent residency ($275). The spouse then files for Marriage Permanent Residency ($225). The Amparo was the bridge — not the destination.

The Family Permanent Residency visa (*visa de parentesco*) is one of Ecuador's two "permanent from day one" categories (the other being Marriage Permanent Residency for spouses). Once approved, your residency is indefinite — no 2-year clock, no renewal cycle, no dependency on anyone else's status. For the comprehensive breakdown, see our Family Permanent Residency guide.

Who qualifies: Anyone within the 2nd degree of consanguinity or affinity of an Ecuadorian citizen or foreign permanent resident.

Six key characteristics:

1. Permanent from day one. The underlying status is indefinite (cédula renewal is administrative only).
2. Independent of the sponsor. After approval, nothing the sponsor does affects your status.
3. Total cost: $225 ($50 application + $175 issuance). Discounts for 65+ (50% off) and 30%+ disability (100% off).
4. Broader family scope than Amparo. Covers siblings, grandparents, adult children, in-laws — relationships Amparo cannot touch.
5. Path to citizenship. 3 years from permanent residency issuance (versus ~4.75 years via the temporary → permanent → citizen route).
6. More lenient absence rules than temporary residency.

The critical takeaway: Family Permanent is not just "better" than Amparo — it is a categorically different type of status. Indefinite, independent, and robust versus temporary, derivative, and fragile.

One of the most surprising facts in Ecuador's immigration fee schedule is that the superior visa is cheaper.

Amparo (Dependent) Visa: - Government fees: $250 total - This covers the application and issuance for one renewal cycle (matching the sponsor's temporary visa period) - When the sponsor's temporary visa expires and you refile, you pay $250 again - Over a typical 2-year temporary period followed by conversion, a spouse on Amparo pays $250 for the initial filing. If the sponsor takes the full 24 months before converting and the spouse then files for Family Permanent, the total government fees are $250 + $225 = $475 across two filings

Family Permanent Residency: - Government fees: $225 total ($50 application + $175 issuance) - This is a one-time cost — permanent residency does not require renewal - Discounts: 50% off for age 65+ (~$112.50 total), 100% off for 30%+ disability with CONADIS carnet ($0 total) - No future government fees for maintaining the status (cédula renewal at the Registro Civil is a separate, small administrative charge)

The math over time:

Consider a family where the principal applicant holds a Pensioner visa and their spouse enters on Amparo. The total government fee expenditure for the spouse:

The Amparo path costs more than double the Family Permanent path — $475 vs. $225 — and delivers the same end result (permanent residency) but 21+ months later.

Of course, the Amparo path is not a *choice* — it is the only option when the sponsor is still on temporary residency. The comparison is not "choose Amparo or choose Family Permanent" — it is "understand that if your sponsor is already a citizen or permanent resident, you should be filing for Family Permanent, not Amparo, because Family Permanent is both cheaper and better."

Additional out-of-pocket costs (similar for both visas):

Both visas require apostilled, translated relationship documents, a criminal background check, passport photos, and proof of means of living. The document preparation costs are comparable:

• Certified copies of birth/marriage certificates: $15-$30 each
• Apostille fees: $10-$30 per document
• Criminal background check: $18-$100 depending on country, plus apostille
• Spanish translation (batched through EcuadorTranslations.com): $150-$300 for a typical multi-document set
• Passport photos: $3-$10

The Family Permanent visa may require more relationship documents if the kinship chain is longer (e.g., a grandparent claim requiring an intermediate birth certificate), which adds modest apostille and translation costs. But even accounting for this, the total out-of-pocket cost difference is small compared to the structural advantage of permanent status.

Bottom line: Family Permanent Residency costs $225 in government fees, once, forever. Amparo costs $250 per cycle, with a likely follow-up filing of $225 to eventually reach the same permanent status. If you have the choice — meaning your sponsor is already a citizen or permanent resident — the financial case for Family Permanent is overwhelming.

The scope of qualifying relationships is the second-most important distinction after the sponsor's status.

The practical implication: If you are a sibling, grandparent, in-law, adult child, or grandchild of someone in Ecuador, Amparo is never an option regardless of sponsor status. Your only family-based path is Family Permanent — which requires the sponsor to be a citizen or permanent resident. If the sponsor is still on temporary residency, neither family visa works and you must establish your own independent basis (Pensioner, Rentista, Professional, etc.).

Where spouses fit: If the sponsor is on temporary residency, the spouse uses Amparo. If the sponsor is a citizen or permanent resident, the spouse uses Marriage Permanent Residency — not the Family Permanent visa. The marriage visa includes a mandatory in-person interview; the family visa does not.

Understanding "2nd degree": Ecuador's civil-law system counts family degrees by generational steps. Parent to child = 1 step (1st degree). Sibling to sibling = 2 steps (up to shared parent, back down — 2nd degree). Affinity mirrors consanguinity through the marriage link. For a worked example with named family members, see our Family Permanent Residency guide.

This is the dimension that matters most to families making long-term plans in Ecuador.

Amparo: your status lives and dies with your sponsor's visa.

The Amparo visa is derivative. If your sponsor's temporary visa is revoked, expires without renewal, or is otherwise terminated, your Amparo is simultaneously invalidated. No grace period. No independent appeal. Your legal basis was your sponsor's temporary status, and when that disappears, so does yours.

Five scenarios where Amparo vulnerability materializes:

1. Sponsor fails to renew on time. An illness, a travel delay, a missed deadline — if the sponsor's temporary visa lapses, the Amparo lapses too. Both have to start over.
2. Sponsor loses the qualifying basis. A Pensioner visa requires pension income of at least 3 SBU (~$1,446/month). If the pension is cut or discontinued, the sponsor's visa is at risk — and so is your Amparo.
3. Sponsor decides to leave Ecuador. The Amparo holder has no independent basis for staying.
4. Sponsor exceeds absence limits. Temporary residents have strict presence requirements. Violation can trigger revocation — taking the Amparo down with it.
5. Relationship breakdown. For spouses on Amparo: if the marriage dissolves, the legal basis for the Amparo may be challenged. An Amparo-holder going through a divorce simultaneously faces losing their legal residency.

Family Permanent: your status is yours.

The Family Permanent visa is independent the moment it is issued. The sponsor's role ends at approval. After that, nothing the sponsor does — renouncing citizenship, losing permanent residency, leaving Ecuador, dying, or having a falling-out with you — has any impact on your status. The only way to lose Family Permanent Residency is through your own actions: serious criminal conviction, failure to comply with permanent resident presence rules, or voluntary renunciation.

The human cost of the difference: An Amparo holder who loses status because the sponsor failed to renew or lost their qualifying income faces immediate displacement — no longer legally resident, despite having built a life with friends, routines, a home, and possibly children in school. Rebuilding means new documents, new apostilles, new translations, new fees, and months of uncertainty.

For anyone whose sponsor is already a citizen or permanent resident, choosing Family Permanent over Amparo is not about cost savings. It is about protecting yourself from risks you cannot control.

For many families, Amparo is the bridge, not the destination. The typical progression:

Phase 1 — Both on temporary status. The sponsor arrives on a temporary visa (Pensioner, Rentista, etc.). The dependent files Amparo ($250). Both are temporary, both subject to the same absence limits, and the dependent's status is tied to the sponsor.

Phase 2 — Sponsor converts to permanent. After 21 months, the sponsor files for Permanent Residency ($275). Once approved, the dependent has two options:

• Option A (recommended): File for Family Permanent Residency ($225) — or Marriage Permanent ($225) for spouses. Grants indefinite, independent status.
• Option B: Convert through the 21-month path independently ($275). More expensive and requires the dependent to have maintained the 21-month presence requirement.

Phase 3 — Both permanent. Both hold independent status. Both on the path to citizenship (3 years from permanent residency issuance).

Timeline:

The key planning point: Have the dependent's Family Permanent documents ready to file the day the sponsor's permanent residency is approved. Every month on unnecessary Amparo is a month of avoidable vulnerability.

If the sponsor later becomes an Ecuadorian citizen: Even better. A citizen is the strongest possible sponsor — and their naturalization opens the door for family members who could never qualify under Amparo (siblings, grandparents, adult children, in-laws) to apply for Family Permanent Residency.

Ecuador has two separate permanent-from-day-one visas that involve family relationships, and the boundary between them trips up many applicants. Both cost $225. Both grant indefinite residency. Both require the sponsor to be an Ecuadorian citizen or permanent resident. The difference is the relationship type.

[Marriage Permanent Residency](/guides/marriage-residency): - For spouses and registered de facto partners (unión de hecho) of Ecuadorian citizens or permanent residents - Requires the marriage to be inscribed in Ecuador's Registro Civil (if married abroad) - Requires a mandatory in-person interview to verify the genuineness of the relationship - Separate category in Ecuador's immigration law from the Family Permanent visa

[Family Permanent Residency](/guides/family-residency): - For non-spouse relatives within the 2nd degree of consanguinity or affinity: parents, children, siblings, grandparents, grandchildren, and in-laws - Does NOT require an interview (though the ministry retains discretion) - Documentary proof of the family relationship replaces the interview — the kinship chain must be traceable through birth certificates and marriage certificates

Why the separation matters:

The marriage visa exists as a distinct category because spousal relationships carry unique fraud risks (marriages of convenience) that non-spouse family relationships generally do not. Ecuador addresses this with the mandatory interview requirement. The Family Permanent visa does not carry the same fraud risk — it is difficult to forge a birth certificate chain showing you are someone's sibling or grandchild — so the interview is not a standard requirement.

Common confusion points:

1. "My spouse is Ecuadorian — do I file Family Permanent or Marriage Permanent?" Marriage Permanent. Spouses use the dedicated marriage-based visa, not the general family visa.

1. "My brother is Ecuadorian — can I use the Marriage Permanent visa?" No. Siblings use the Family Permanent visa. The marriage visa is exclusively for spouses and de facto partners.

1. "My mother-in-law is Ecuadorian — which visa?" Family Permanent. The in-law relationship (1st degree affinity) qualifies under the family visa. The marriage visa is only for the direct spousal relationship.

1. "My spouse is a foreigner on temporary residency — can I get either permanent visa?" Neither. Both permanent visas require the sponsor to be a citizen or permanent resident. If the sponsor is on temporary residency, the only family path is Amparo.

1. "We are in a registered unión de hecho — is that Marriage Permanent or Family Permanent?" Marriage Permanent. Ecuador treats registered de facto partnerships equivalently to marriage for the purpose of this visa category.

If you have both a spousal AND a non-spouse family relationship:

Rare but possible — for example, your spouse is Ecuadorian AND your sibling is also Ecuadorian. You would file through the Marriage Permanent visa (the spousal path), since that is the strongest and most direct basis. There is no benefit to filing through the sibling relationship instead.

Joint family applications:

A single Ecuadorian citizen or permanent resident can sponsor multiple family members simultaneously. For instance, an Ecuadorian citizen can sponsor their foreign spouse (via Marriage Permanent) and their foreign parent (via Family Permanent) at the same time. Each files a separate application, but the sponsor's documentation is shared. Coordinating the filings reduces administrative overhead and often speeds processing.

Theory is useful, but families make decisions based on situations. Here are the most common real-world scenarios and which visa applies in each.

Scenario 1: Parents joining an adult child who is an Ecuadorian citizen.

Maria is a naturalized Ecuadorian citizen living in Cuenca. Her American parents, both retired, want to join her. Maria's parents qualify for Family Permanent Residency — they are 1st-degree consanguinity (parent ↔ child) relatives of an Ecuadorian citizen. Each parent files a separate application, using their own birth certificate (or Maria's, showing them as parents) as the relationship proof, plus their own background check and means of living documentation. Maria provides her cédula de ciudadanía as the sponsor documentation.

Total government fees: $225 per parent = $450 for both. Both parents receive permanent residency from day one. Both are on the path to citizenship in 3 years.

Had Maria still been on a temporary visa (say, a Professional visa), her parents would have no family-based visa option — Amparo is generally limited to spouse, de facto partner, and minor children. Maria's parents would need their own independent visa basis, such as a Pensioner visa if they have pension income of at least 3 SBU (~$1,446/month).

Scenario 2: Adult child joining a parent who is a permanent resident.

John is a British citizen who has held Ecuadorian permanent residency for 2 years (originally came on a Rentista visa, converted at month 21). His adult daughter Sarah, 28, wants to move to Ecuador to be near her father. Sarah qualifies for Family Permanent Residency — she is a 1st-degree consanguinity relative (child ↔ parent) of a foreign permanent resident. She files using her birth certificate showing John as her parent, John's cédula de identidad showing permanent resident status, and her UK ACRO police certificate.

Total government fees for Sarah: $225. Permanent from day one.

Had John still been on temporary residency, Sarah would have no family-based visa option — adult children cannot file Amparo. She would need her own independent visa basis.

Scenario 3: Spouse of a temporary resident — Amparo now, permanent later.

Carlos is an American on a Pensioner visa (temporary, 2-year). His wife Elena, also American, has no independent visa basis. Elena files for Amparo ($250), receiving temporary derivative status matching Carlos's visa. After 21 months, Carlos converts to permanent residency ($275). Elena then files for [Marriage Permanent Residency](/guides/marriage-residency) ($225), receiving indefinite status.

Elena's total government fees over the journey: $250 (Amparo) + $225 (Marriage Permanent) = $475. She reaches permanent residency approximately 23-28 months after arriving in Ecuador.

Had Carlos already been a permanent resident or citizen when Elena wanted to join, she would have skipped Amparo entirely and filed directly for Marriage Permanent ($225 total, permanent from day one).

Scenario 4: Sibling of an Ecuadorian citizen.

Pedro is an Ecuadorian citizen. His brother Miguel, a Colombian national, wants to move to Ecuador. Miguel qualifies for Family Permanent Residency — siblings are 2nd-degree consanguinity. Miguel files using both his birth certificate and Pedro's birth certificate (or Ecuadorian Registro Civil record), showing the same parents. Pedro provides his cédula de ciudadanía.

Total government fees for Miguel: $225. Permanent from day one.

Note: if Pedro were only on temporary residency, Miguel would have no family-based visa option at all — Amparo does not cover siblings, and Family Permanent requires a citizen or permanent resident sponsor.

Scenario 5: Mother-in-law of an Ecuadorian citizen.

Ana is an Ecuadorian citizen married to David, an American. David's mother Ruth wants to join them in Ecuador. Ruth qualifies for Family Permanent Residency — she is Ana's parent-in-law (1st degree affinity). Ruth files using: David's birth certificate (showing Ruth as his mother), Ana and David's marriage certificate (establishing the in-law link), and Ana's cédula de ciudadanía.

Total government fees for Ruth: $225. Permanent from day one.

Scenario 6: Sponsor loses status — the devastating Amparo scenario.

Tom is on a Rentista visa (temporary). His wife Lisa is on Amparo. After 18 months, Tom's rental income dries up. Tom cannot renew at month 24. Result: both Tom and Lisa lose their legal residency. Lisa built a life in Ecuador for 2 years and now faces displacement because of a change in Tom's financial situation entirely outside her control. This scenario cannot happen with Family Permanent Residency — permanent status is immune to the sponsor's post-approval circumstances.

Both visas require relationship proof, a criminal background check, proof of means of living, and standard identity documents. The key differences are in the relationship proof complexity and the sponsor's status documentation.

Relationship proof — Amparo vs. Family Permanent:

Every foreign-issued document must be apostilled first, then translated to Spanish. Multi-document chains are where Family Permanent gets more complex — and more expensive in document prep. Order all certified copies simultaneously, apostille as a batch, and translate together through EcuadorTranslations.com for consistent terminology. A 3-document chain typically costs $150-$300 in batched translation.

Sponsor documentation differs by status type:

• Amparo: Copy of sponsor's cédula de identidad (showing temporary status), visa stamp, and approval letter
• Family Permanent (citizen sponsor): Copy of sponsor's cédula de ciudadanía (front and back)
• Family Permanent (permanent resident sponsor): Copy of sponsor's cédula de identidad showing permanent status + permanent visa stamp or approval letter

Shared requirements for both visas: Country-of-origin criminal background check (FBI, ACRO, RCMP, etc.), apostilled and Spanish-translated, issued within 180 days (clock pauses during processing). Proof of lawful means of living — neither visa imposes a strict income threshold. Bank statements, sponsor support letters, pension documentation, or employment letters are accepted. For country-specific background check guidance, see our guides for India, Philippines, Nigeria, and United States.

Families rarely plan for this, but it determines the resilience of your legal status.

The action items for Amparo holders:

• Sponsor upgrading to permanent: File for Family Permanent (or Marriage Permanent for spouses) the day the sponsor's permanent residency is approved. Every month on Amparo after the sponsor upgrades is unnecessary vulnerability.
• Sponsor's non-renewal anticipated: Begin exploring independent visa options (Pensioner, Rentista, Professional) *before* the sponsor's visa expires.
• Sponsor's visa revoked: Seek legal counsel immediately.

The action items for Family Permanent holders: None. Your permanent residency is yours. The sponsor's post-approval circumstances — loss of status, departure from Ecuador, death, family estrangement — have zero effect on your visa. The relationship needed to exist at the time of application; it does not need to persist afterward.

Whether you are filing for Amparo or Family Permanent, EcuaGo's $49 application service handles the document preparation, assembly, and submission guidance. The service covers:

• Eligibility assessment — confirm which visa you qualify for based on your sponsor's status and relationship type (the most expensive mistake is filing the wrong visa)
• Personalized document checklist — exactly which documents you need for your specific relationship and country of origin
• Apostille and translation sequencing — correct order of operations and country-specific instructions
• Translation coordination — direct integration with EcuadorTranslations.com for batched, judiciary-certified Spanish translation
• Application assembly and submission guidance — complete package in the format the Cancillería expects

The $49 fee is per application, separate from government fees ($250 Amparo / $225 Family Permanent) and document costs (apostilles, translations, certified copies).

For the Amparo → Family Permanent progression: If you file Amparo through EcuaGo and later convert to Family Permanent after the sponsor upgrades, your file context carries forward — the second filing is significantly simpler when the first filing's records are organized.

For families filing multiple applications simultaneously — a parent and two siblings of the same Ecuadorian citizen, for example — the shared sponsor documentation and overlapping relationship documents make coordinated filing especially efficient.

Use this decision tree to determine your path. Answer the questions in order — each answer narrows the possibilities until you reach the correct visa.

Question 1: What is your sponsor's immigration status in Ecuador?

• Ecuadorian citizen (natural-born or naturalized) → Go to Question 2A
• Foreign permanent resident → Go to Question 2A
• Foreign temporary resident (Pensioner, Rentista, Investor, Professional, Mercosur, etc.) → Go to Question 2B
• No Ecuadorian immigration status (tourist, no visa, lives abroad) → Your sponsor cannot sponsor you for either visa. They need to establish their own residency first.

Question 2A (sponsor is citizen or permanent resident): What is your relationship to the sponsor?

• Spouse or registered de facto partner → [Marriage Permanent Residency](/guides/marriage-residency) ($225, indefinite from day one, interview required)
• Parent, child, sibling, grandparent, grandchild, or in-law (within 2nd degree) → Family Permanent Residency ($225, indefinite from day one)
• Cousin, aunt/uncle, niece/nephew, or more distant → Neither family visa is available. You need an independent visa basis.

Question 2B (sponsor is temporary resident): What is your relationship to the sponsor?

• Spouse or registered de facto partner → Amparo (Dependent) Visa ($250, matches sponsor's temporary visa duration)
• Minor child (under 18) → Amparo (Dependent) Visa ($250, matches sponsor's temporary visa duration)
• Parent → Amparo may be available (discretionary — consult the Cancillería)
• Sibling, grandparent, adult child, in-law, or more distant → No family-based visa available. The sponsor's temporary status does not support these relationships. Options: wait for the sponsor to upgrade to permanent (then file Family Permanent), or establish your own independent visa basis.

Question 3: Is timing urgent, or can you wait?

• Urgent (need to move now): If only Amparo is available, file now and plan the conversion to Family Permanent when the sponsor upgrades. If Family Permanent is available, file it immediately.
• Not urgent (can wait 6-18 months): If the sponsor is close to the 21-month mark for permanent residency conversion, consider waiting. The sponsor converts to permanent, the dependent files directly for Family Permanent — skipping Amparo entirely, saving $250 in government fees, and arriving at permanent status without the intermediate temporary phase.

The waiting math: If the sponsor is at month 15, the conversion is ~6-9 months away. Filing Amparo now ($250) plus later Family Permanent ($225) = $475 total. Waiting and filing Family Permanent directly = $225 total. The trade-off is $250 in savings versus 6-9 months without legal residency. For families that need to be together immediately, Amparo is the right call. For those who can manage the wait, the $49 EcuaGo eligibility assessment can help model the optimal timing for your specific situation.