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I never thought I’d be writing about work permits from a small coastal town in Ecuador.

I’m HuaFeng — from Zibo, studied landscape architecture in Beijing, and now I sell folding shovels. Not glamorous. Not viral. But it pays. Enough to hire one full-time employee in Esmeraldas. Enough to feel the weight of responsibility. Enough to realize I have no idea how to do this right.

It started with a simple question: Can I legally employ someone here without a Foreigner Work Permit?

The answer, I learned, isn’t in Google. It’s in the quiet panic of an office clerk who doesn’t speak English, a stack of forms in Spanish that changed last month, and a bank statement that suddenly looks “insufficient” even though you’ve had the same balance for six months.

I’ve been here for 18 months. My business is small — 3 employees, mostly local. My products? Foldable shovels for urban gardeners, campers, emergency kits. We ship from Quito, but I live here in Esmeraldas because the rent is low, the pace is slow, and the sea reminds me of my childhood by the Yellow River.

But lately, I’ve been staring at my bank account more than my sales dashboard.

The Permit That Never Stays Permanently

Last week, I went to the Dirección General de Migración (DGME) office in Esmeraldas to renew my Permiso de Trabajo para Extranjeros — Foreigner Work Permit. I had all the documents: bank statement, tax certificate, rental contract, employment contract for my local staff, even a letter from my Chinese supplier confirming ongoing orders.

They took my papers. Said they’d call in 15 days.

Two weeks later, I got a call. “Your application is under review. We need proof of solvency for the past 12 months, not just 6.”

I blinked. I’d submitted 12 months last time.

They said: “The guidelines changed. Shorter validities are now standard. Longer-term compliance requires more.”

I didn’t ask what “compliance” meant. I already knew. It meant they were tightening. Not because of corruption — I’ve seen too many honest clerks here — but because of pressure. From the north. From the south. From the fact that 2.5 million visitors came to Costa Rica last year, and now Ecuador is being watched.

I didn’t even know I was being watched.

I sat in the parking lot after leaving the office and thought: Am I the only one who feels like we’re being tested, not helped?

I’m not trying to live here illegally. I’m not trying to exploit the system. I’m trying to build something small, honest, and sustainable. But the rules feel like they’re moving under my feet.

The Forex Ghost in the Room

Then there’s the money.

I invoice in USD. I pay my staff in USD. But I can’t open a USD account here without a business license that requires a work permit. So I use a local friend’s account. I transfer USD to his account. He withdraws in local currency and gives me cash. I pay my staff in cash.

It’s messy. It’s not elegant. It’s not legal. But it works.

I’ve seen others do it too. A guy from India who runs a tour agency. A woman from Brazil who sells artisanal soap. We don’t talk about it. We nod when we see each other at the market. We know.

But last month, the peso dropped 7% in three days. My friend panicked. He stopped cashing out. Said his bank flagged his account. “They’re watching for informal USD flows,” he whispered. “They’re afraid of money laundering.”

I thought about my shovel sales. I thought about the fact that I’ve paid my staff for 14 months without a single complaint. I thought about how I’ve never taken a peso out of the country.

I didn’t sleep that night.

Is this what sustainability looks like? A business built on silent compromises?

I asked a local lawyer — not the kind you find on Google Ads, but the one who works out of a second-floor office above a pharmacy. She didn’t give me an answer. She said: “If you want to do this right, you need to apply for a Residencia por Inversiones — Investment Residency. But you need to prove you’ve invested at least $10,000 locally. And you need to hire two locals for six months before you can apply.”

I had one employee. I had $8,000 in equipment. I had no idea how to prove “investment” when my inventory is stored in a garage.

She added: “Many Chinese entrepreneurs here are stuck. They don’t know the rules changed. They think if they did it last year, they can do it this year. But the rules… they change quietly.”

What’s Really Changing?

I’ve been reading the news. I know about Lobo Menor being transferred from Colombia to Ecuador. I’ve seen the reports about US-backed airstrikes near the border. I’ve read how Colombia and Ecuador are tense over alleged bodies, false rumors, and unconfirmed bombings.

I don’t know if any of this affects me.

But I do know this: when a country is under pressure — politically, economically, security-wise — the first thing they tighten is immigration. The second is money flows.

Esmeraldas isn’t Quito. It’s not Guayaquil. It’s a quiet town where tourists come for the beaches, and entrepreneurs come because it’s cheap. But now? Now it feels like we’re all being watched.

I’ve started asking other foreign entrepreneurs: How are you handling your work permits? Are you using a lawyer? Did you know the solvency requirement changed?

Most say: “I didn’t know.”
A few say: “I left.”
One guy from Vietnam said: “I started paying my staff in crypto. It’s not legal, but it’s faster than the bank.”

I didn’t laugh. I thought: Is this the future?

Three Quiet Steps I’m Taking (And Why)

I don’t have a magic solution. But I’m trying to act — not react.

  1. I’m applying for Residencia por Inversiones — even if I’m not sure I qualify.

    • Path: Visit DGME office in Esmeraldas → Request Formulario de Solicitud de Residencia por Inversiones → Submit: 1) Proof of local investment (bank statement, invoices, receipts), 2) Employment contracts for two locals, 3) Tax clearance from SRI (Servicio de Rentas Internas), 4) Police clearance from China (notarized and apostilled).
    • Key point: You need to show local economic contribution, not just money transferred in. My folding shovels are imported, but I’m now buying local packaging materials to show investment.

  2. I’m documenting every transaction — even cash.

    • I started a simple Excel sheet: Date | Amount | Currency | Purpose | Recipient | Receipt Photo.
    • I take photos of every cash payment to my staff, with them holding today’s newspaper.
    • I know it’s not legally required. But if someone asks, I won’t be caught off guard.

  3. I’m talking to other entrepreneurs — quietly.

    • I joined a WhatsApp group: “Foreigners in Esmeraldas Business.”
    • No one posts ads. No one sells services.
    • We share: “Did you get your permit renewed?” “What bank did you use?” “Did they ask for your supplier invoice?”
    • It’s not a support group. It’s a survival network.

Maybe different people will have different answers.

I used to think being a small business owner meant being independent. Now I realize it means being vulnerable.

I’m not rich. I’m not famous. I don’t have a team of lawyers. I don’t speak fluent Spanish. I’m just a woman from Zibo who learned how to fold a shovel and decided to sell them in Ecuador.

And now I’m learning how to survive.

I still believe in small things. In quiet persistence. In honesty over shortcuts.

But I’m starting to wonder: Is the system designed for people like me? Or is it designed to push us out?

I don’t know.

But I’m still here.

If you’ve been in Esmeraldas, trying to build something small with a work permit that feels like it’s slipping through your fingers — or if you’ve lost sleep over forex swings that no one warned you about — I’d like to hear from you.

Maybe we’re not alone.

You can find JingJing on WeChat: lvga2015 — she’s not offering advice. She’s just listening. And if you want to join a quiet group of entrepreneurs in Ecuador who share what they’ve learned — no promises, no sales pitches — we’re building something real. Just slowly.

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🔹 Alias Lobo Menor, imputado por el asesinato del candidato presidencial Fernando Villavicencio, llegó a Ecuador para enfrentar a la justicia 🗞️ 来源: eltiempo.com – 📅 2026-03-20
🔗 阅读原文

🔹 US-backed airstrikes leave Ecuador border communities in fear 🗞️ 来源: bangkokpost – 📅 2026-03-20
🔗 阅读原文

🔹 Colombia expulsa hacia Ecuador a alias ‘Lobo Menor’, sospechoso en crimen de candidato presidencial 🗞️ 来源: apnews – 📅 2026-03-20
🔗 阅读原文