Planning to Immigrate through Investments abroad?

Planning to Immigrate through Investments abroad? We provide you with a comparison chart between the Investor Visa Program offered by Quebec and the EB-5 visa program offered by the US Government

At present, the US EB-5 Program and the Quebec Investor Immigration Program are the most preferred investor visa programs across the world. Although there are other countries who offer similar visas for foreign investors, these programs find the highest number of applicants seeking to benefit from the visa program. We draw a comparison between the two for you to weigh in the benefits better:

• Minimum investments required  

An EB-5 visa requires the applicant to make a minimum investment of $500,000 under sectors that come under the US government’s TEA List (Targeted Employment Area), which areas classified as areas of high unemployment rates or rural areas by the US government. For other investments, the limit is $1,000,000, which might be hiked in the coming future.

In comparison to this, applicants who apply for visa under the QIIP are required to invest a minimum amount of CAD 800,000 in risk-free investments with authorised financial intermediaries who have been recognised to participate under the program. This capital will be returned to the applicant after a period of 5 years and is guaranteed by the federal government.

• Applicant’s net worth 

Applicant for an EB-5 Investor Visa need not fulfil any net worth requirements; however, it is required that QIIP applicants prove a minimum net worth of CAD 1,600,000 that is legally acquired either by the applicant alone or along with the spouse/de facto partner. An applicant can exhibit her/his net worth by providing proof of assets like bank accounts, bonds and stocks, property and investments like pension funds.

• Investment type 

EB-5 investors have to make investments in new commercial companies that are set up in the US which have associated risks. This means that the nature of investment is for running a lawful business that generates profits and does not include investments made in owning a private residence.

QIIP requires investors to make guaranteed and risk-averse investments with authorized intermediaries that are accepted to participate in the program by the government of Quebec. The capital will either be returned in 5 years’ time or will be financed by the Canadian Financial Institution.

• Requirements for job creation  

QIIP comes with no conditions for creating jobs, whereas an EB-5 investor should create employment for at least 10 skilled workers in the USA on a full-time basis within two years of making an investment on a Conditional PR card. The nature of employment can be either direct by hiring W-2 employees under a commercially run business which is financed by the investor through a capital amount, or indirect where jobs have been created as a result of the capital investment made into a commercially run business that is associated with a regional centre.