Investors Visa
Many countries offer an investment or Business Visa to encourage immigrants with proven experience in running a business and who are interested in establishing a business overseas or investing in another country. Immigrants could be interested in opening a new business venture or buying an existing overseas business.
USA and Canada have an Immigrant Investor Program, which offers migrants an alternate residency status while continuing to manage already existing businesses in their home country.
These investor programs seek to attract overseas investors with enough personal net worth and managerial experience.
Every country that offers an investment program has its own set of requirements and eligibility criteria.
International investors seeking to immigrate to another country may qualify for certain investor visas through a franchise. Global Franchise Consultants can help you with the process step by step, from identifying the right franchise to the application process and legal backup.
US VISAS
Visa E-2
The E-2 Visa became increasingly popular with foreign investors, entrepreneurs, and multinational companies.
The E-2 Visa continues to be a desirable nonimmigrant visa because it does not require sponsorship from U.S. citizens or businesses, giving foreign entrepreneurs and investors control over their business and livelihood in the United States.
E-2 visa requirements include the following –
• The owner/investor must be from an E Visa Treaty Country
• Must have a detailed business plan and a business that is ready to open.
• Show they have a substantial investment to open the business and keep it running until it can sustain itself.
L-1 Visa
The L1 visa allows foreign nationals to enter the U.S. to open a new office of a foreign company, provided that premises for the U.S. office have been secured and funds have been invested in or available for U.S. operations.
To qualify for an L1 visa, the applicant must:
a. Be an executive, a manager, or an employee with specialized knowledge of the company’s business and its products and services, and
b. Must have worked for the company overseas for one year in the three years before applying for the L1 visa.
IMPORTANT
A qualifying relationship such as parent-subsidiary, branch, or affiliate must exist between the foreign and the U.S. business entities.
EB-5 Visa
The EB-5 investor visa grants permanent resident status to investors who satisfy specific criteria. With this visa, the applicant’s spouse and unmarried children below 21 may also receive a green card.
The visa, administered by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS’s) Immigrant Investor Program Office (IPO), was first introduced in 1990 to help boost the economy by growing employment and attracting foreign capital.
Processing times for EB-5 can vary. The initial petition can take anywhere from 47 to 71 months to process. If the applicant lives abroad, it can take between 4 to 6 months for a green card to be approved via consular processing. If, on the other hand, the applicant lives in the United States, it could take anywhere from 7.5 to 45.5 months — depending on the service center — before a decision is made via the Adjustment of Status process.
EB-5 Visa summary:
• To receive this visa, you must invest at least $800,000 in a US enterprise and create at least 10 American jobs.
• If you are eligible for the EB-5 Visa, you can receive a Green Card and live in the US.
• You can include your dependent family members in the application. This means your spouse and children also get Green Cards.
• The US only issues 10,000 EB-5 Investment Visas per year. This also includes the visas issued to family members.
Canada Investors Visa
Requirements of the Canada Start-Up Visa Program
To obtain permanent residence in Canada, foreign entrepreneurs must propose an innovative, scaling start-up business approved by a designated organization.
Choose one of the following options:
Business incubation: No minimum investment is required.
Angel investment: Raise CAD 75,000 from an angel investment group, depending on a particular stage of the business.
Venture capital fund: Raise CAD 200,000 from a venture capital fund, depending on a specific stage of the business.
For all three options, additional fees apply for optional consulting, government fees, business structure, document processing, and immigration filing.
Investors are also required to:
Have English or French language proficiency at the CLB/IELTS 5 level.
Be in good health.
Have no criminal record.
