Immigrant investor programs

Immigrant investor program comparison | EB-5 Updates

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Immigrant investor program is a program designed to attract foreign capital and business people by granting residency and citizenship rights in return. This is also known as a citizenship-by-investment program. While some countries currently offer citizenship or residential investors in return for economic investment, the concept is relatively new and only brought to focus around 2006.

Immigrant investor programs usually have several criteria that must be met for investment in order to qualify, often related to job creation, real estate purchase, non-refundable contributions or specific industries targeted. Much of the program is structured to ensure that investments contribute to the welfare, progress and economic development of the country in which they wish to stay or belong. More often about contributing economically than just investment. The US EB-5 visa program requires foreign applicants to invest at least from $ 500,000 to $ 1 million, depending on the project location, and requires at least 10 jobs to be created or maintained. When these criteria are met, the applicant and their family become eligible for a green card. There is an annual limit of 10,000 applications under the EB-5 program.

Individual Maltese Investor Program, the Henley & amp; Partners contracted in 2014 by the Government of Malta to design and implement, are also limited to 1,800 applicants. Applicants are subject to an exhaustive due diligence process that ensures that only leading applicants obtain Maltese citizenship. In addition, applications from countries where international sanctions apply may not be accepted. Applications from certain countries may also be excluded under a Government policy decision. The minimum investment for this program is $ 870,000 with a non-refundable contribution of $ 700,000.

Most users of such programs are rich Chinese who seek better legal security and quality of life outside of their home country. More than three quarters of applicants to the Canadian immigrant investor program (since aborted) are Chinese.

Quebec Immigrant Investor Program is a Canadian program that allows investors who intend to settle in the province of Quebec to invest money in Canada. The Government of Quebec says it will receive a maximum of 1,750 applications for the Immigrant Investor Program over the period 5-20 January 2015. Applicants with mid-level talent in French are not subject to limitations and may apply at any time. This program has been linked to a lack of housing affordability in Vancouver.

The countries with the highest ranking of immigrant investor programs in the world are Malta, Cyprus, Portugal, Austria, UK, USA, Canada, Antigua and Barbuda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Spain, Latvia, Monaco, Bulgaria, Ukraine, Grenada, Abkhazia, Saint Lucia, Australia, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Dominica.