Worry-free and Effortless: No need to provide company information, no English requirements, just proof of having the corresponding assets.
The college admission process for the 2011 entrance examination is nearing its end, with schools categorized into multiple batches based on admission scores. In terms of immigration, applicants can also choose countries for immigration based on their popularity, which can be divided into the first, second, and third batches...
Currently, the first batch of popular immigration countries includes the United States and Canada; the second batch includes Australia, Singapore, Hong Kong, and New Zealand, while the United Kingdom, which is gaining popularity, is expected to "join" the second batch this year; at the same time, countries in the "third batch" such as Malaysia, Malta, Spain, and Cyprus also provide numerous opportunities for applicants. As the number of applicants for mainstream immigration countries and regions increases, competition becomes relatively fierce. Additionally, in recent years, these popular countries and regions have frequently raised the thresholds for immigration and settlement. For instance, last year, Australia tightened its skilled and business immigration policies, this year Canada has limited investment immigration quotas, and next year the U.S. immigration policy will face changes, all of which have introduced many uncertainties. Therefore, applicants might consider those "non-mainstream" countries available in the market.
Successful Cases
* A couple from Shanxi, coal mine owners:
Set a record for the fastest visa approval in 5 days
Ms. Wang and her husband, Mr. Li, are the heads of a coal mine in Shanxi. To facilitate their son, who is about to turn 18, to pursue higher education in the UK, they learned from various channels that "immigrating is more cost-effective than studying abroad" regarding the UK investment immigration program. They officially signed a contract with a company in mid-March 2011 to begin processing their UK immigration. Ms. Wang chose to invest through a loan of £190,000, depositing the equivalent of £2 million in cash as proof of assets in a designated bank.
From the time of application submission, it only took 5 days, and on June 13, 2011, the whole family successfully obtained the UK Investment Immigration (Tier 1) visa, which still holds the record for the fastest approval in the industry for UK investment immigration applications.
* Owner of a beauty products company:
Applied for immigration to accompany her daughter
Ms. Ni, the head of a well-known beauty products company, learned about the UK investment immigration program from information in newspapers to facilitate taking care of her daughter, who has been studying in the UK for years. She began processing her UK immigration in April 2010. Since her daughter was already over 18 and could not apply together with her mother, considering her daughter's desire to stay in the UK after graduation, they ultimately chose to submit applications as independent applicants, both opting for the £190,000 loan option. For the corresponding £2 million in assets, they used real estate as proof, each submitting two property deeds and appraisal reports. In December 2010, Ms. Ni and her daughter successfully obtained the UK Investment Immigration (Tier 1) visa.
Last year, the UK government gradually tightened immigration policies. In July of this year, the fourth "Immigration and Nationality Act" came into effect, and student visas no longer qualify for immigration applications. Skilled immigration has become more difficult, and even marrying a British citizen now requires passing an English test to obtain citizenship. The UK government aims to reduce skilled and family reunion immigration through this new law.
Suitable for High Net Worth Individuals
However, at the same time, only the investment immigration policy remains unaffected, allowing high net worth individuals to still obtain immigration eligibility for their entire family through investment. The new policy retains the previous £1 million investment and the 5-year path to permanent residency, while also introducing two accelerated investment immigration programs: £5 million investment with a 3-year path to permanent residency and £10 million investment with a 2-year path to permanent residency, while reducing the residency requirement from 9 months to 6 months.
Among these, the £1 million investment immigration program for a duration of 5 years is relatively cost-effective and remains the first choice for immigrants. The investment methods for the UK investment immigration are very similar to those in Canada. For the £1 million investment, investors have two options: invest £1 million in UK government bonds, which will be returned with interest after 5 years; or make a one-time payment of £190,000 through a designated bank institution. Most applicants prefer the latter, as £190,000 is approximately 1.9 million RMB, which is very close to the 220,000 CAD one-time investment amount chosen by Canadian investment immigrants.
The UK investment immigration policy remains lenient
According to census data, the number of Chinese people in the UK has gradually expanded to about 600,000, with an average of 2,000 Chinese marrying British citizens each year. "The UK will be the next hotspot for immigration," said senior immigration expert Liu Sen in an interview with reporters, noting that the UK investment immigration has certain advantages in application speed and conditions. There are no quota restrictions for UK investment immigration, and applications are usually approved within 2 to 3 weeks, with the fastest approval currently being 5 working days.
From an immigration perspective, especially for applicants who have been rejected by Canada or have been waiting for a long time without results, the UK indeed aligns well with the aspirations of many potential immigrants. The conditions for applicants in the UK can be said to be among the most lenient in terms of immigration requirements; individuals over 18 can be the main applicants, with no need to provide company information, no English requirements, and only the need to prove ownership of corresponding assets, making it truly worry-free and effortless for applicants.
Education and Olympic Business Opportunities Are Most Attractive
Experts indicate that education in the UK is highly recognized worldwide, with four of the top ten universities globally being in the UK, and last year's top ranking still being held by the University of Cambridge. After immigrating to the UK, government education is a free resource, allowing parents to accompany their children to study, with the freedom to travel back and forth to their home country. For immigrants preparing for their children's education, this is a promising factor.
As the 2012 London Olympics approach, the current real estate market in the UK, especially in London, is in a golden investment period, with relatively low exchange rates and property prices, generous rental returns, and developers promising a 6% rental return for the first two years, all of which are very "attractive" conditions.
Encouraging Overseas Individuals to Start Businesses in the UK - The New UK Investment Immigration Policy Opens Doors on September 5, 2011
UK Immigration Minister Green announced on March 16 a significant relaxation of investment immigration visa restrictions, encouraging overseas investors to settle in the UK. Immigration lawyers stated that the government has accepted numerous consultation opinions, and the policies introduced are relatively close to the needs of investors. It is expected to further elevate the recently heated interest in UK investment immigration.
The "Provisional Entrepreneur Visa" is also included in the new regulations. Recently, due to the cancellation of high-skilled immigration in the UK, many international students are considering applying for the £200,000 entrepreneur immigration. The new law lowers the threshold to £50,000, but the funds must be provided by officially recognized investment institutions to assess the market potential of the business.
This new category primarily aims to attract creative and business-minded overseas talents to start businesses in the UK. If applicants obtain proof of intent to invest from an officially recognized investment institution, they can first obtain a six-month single-entry "Provisional Entrepreneur Visa" to prepare their business and investment projects in the UK, and then transition to entrepreneur immigration. After five years, they can become permanent residents.
Business Visa Reform Is Necessary
To meet development needs and attract entrepreneurial talents, the new regulations also provide a pathway for entrepreneurs to accelerate their acquisition of permanent residency.
If applicants can create ten full-time job positions and maintain them for at least one year, they can obtain permanent residency after three years. If the applicant's business achieves a turnover of £5 million within three years, they can also obtain permanent residency early.
The UK has always been a country that overseas individuals aspire to immigrate to. However, due to high thresholds, many have to choose countries like Australia and Canada. But in recent years, the UK property prices and pound exchange rates have remained low, and many overseas investors have begun to pay attention to the opportunity to immigrate to the UK.
The new regulations are ahead of those in European and American countries, shortening the application time to as little as three months, with no English requirements. Compared to other countries that require waiting one to several years, the UK is expected to become one of the most attractive countries for investment immigration globally.
Immigration lawyers also call for reforms to the procedures for Chinese business visas in the UK. Many domestic investors and businesses encounter difficulties when applying for UK visas, with cumbersome procedures and long processing times, causing many domestic investors to turn to other European countries and abandon the UK, which is quite regrettable. With China's strong economy, domestic investors can bring many opportunities to the UK, and it is hoped that the government will improve the various visa difficulties faced by domestic individuals applying to the UK while reforming investment immigration.
