The "2018 White Paper on Chinese Investment Immigration" comprehensively evaluates the top ten countries for the Chinese immigration index based on eight indicators: education, investment destination, applicability of immigration policies, overseas property investment, low personal income tax burden, effectiveness of the medical system, visa-free passport access, and adaptability for Chinese citizens.
Among the immigration countries favored by the surveyed high-net-worth individuals, the United States has been the most suitable country for Chinese high-net-worth individuals to invest and immigrate to for four consecutive years. The United Kingdom has risen one spot to second place.
Emerging immigration countries Ireland and Greece have performed impressively, with Ireland rising four spots to third place and Greece appearing on the list for the first time in sixth place. Canada dropped two spots to fourth. Australia dropped one spot to fifth. Hurun stated: "Among the immigration destinations considered by Chinese high-net-worth individuals, the United States is far and away the first choice."
United States: Defending the Top Spot for Four Consecutive Years
In terms of individual scores, the U.S. education system remains one of the key reasons why Chinese investors choose to immigrate to the United States. Additionally, it ranks first in both visa-free passport access and adaptability for Chinese citizens. Since taking office, Trump has vigorously pushed for tax reform, which has led to an increase in its individual tax rate score to 8 points this year.
United Kingdom: Unaffected by Brexit, Rises to Second Place
Although the UK has left the EU, London remains one of the world's financial centers. In terms of education, it is second only to the United States. By immigrating to the UK, children can enjoy a genuine British education and the whole family can access high-quality medical resources. Furthermore, looking at current exchange rates, the British pound is at a low point, making it a good time to invest in the UK.
Hurun stated: "Brexit has had no impact on Chinese entrepreneurs. Currently, UK real estate offers relatively high value for money. On one hand, the uncertainty brought by Brexit has made UK property prices relatively affordable; on the other hand, the current value of the British pound is also relatively high."
Canada: Entering a Golden Age of Immigration, Ranked 4th
With high-quality education, generous benefits, and a beautiful environment, Canada has consistently attracted global immigrants due to these "three superiorities."
First, the Canadian federal government has invested 750 million Canadian dollars to support the "Million New Immigrants Plan"!
Expanding preferential policies for China: It will be the first to promote faster visa processing for Chinese visa applicants over 60; it allows mainland applicants to pay visa application fees using UnionPay, with instructions provided in Chinese; and it has added 7 new visa service centers in mainland China: Nanjing, Chengdu, Hangzhou, Jinan, Kunming, Shenyang, and Wuhan.
Reopening the Parents and Grandparents Program: Applicants who wish to help their parents and grandparents immigrate can first submit an application to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, which will then be selected at random.
Lowering immigration standards: Three major adjustments have been implemented for the Express Entry system: applicants with excellent French proficiency can receive extra points; applicants with siblings settled in Canada can receive extra points; and EE applicants are no longer required to register with the Job Bank.
Lowering the threshold for naturalization: One can apply for citizenship after living in Canada for 3 years within a 5-year period; language requirements have been lowered, with only applicants between 18 and 54 required to take the citizenship test; the upper age limit for dependent children to accompany their parents in an immigration application has been raised from 19 to 22...
Potential removal of medical inadmissibility: Changing the 40-year-old medical examination rules, some restrictions have been relaxed, and 75% of those previously rejected for immigration due to medical regulations will benefit from this.
Ireland: Climbing Rapidly, Breaking into the Top Three
Located in Western Europe and adjacent to the UK, Ireland boasts a beautiful natural environment, a comprehensive welfare system, and complete educational facilities, with its cutting-edge high-tech majors, such as computer science, ranking among the best in the world.
In addition, Ireland is a low-tax country. Its diverse and young social structure and numerous advantages have helped Ireland rise four spots to third place with a score of 7.9, becoming a dark horse in the immigration world.
Greece: Debuting on the List, Ranked 6th
The cooperation between China and Greece under the "Belt and Road" initiative has injected vitality into Greece's economic development. With the recovery and continuous development of the Greek economy, as one of the investment immigration projects in Europe with lower capital requirements, investors can not only obtain Greek immigration status but also gain considerable returns from property investment. Buying property in Greece has become a preferred choice for domestic investors, which is the main factor for Greece jumping to sixth place this year.
Cyprus: Debuting on the List, Ranked 10th
The demand for overseas asset allocation and identity planning has led to a new wave of immigration. Cyprus is exempt from inheritance tax and dividend income tax. It offers visa-free access to 171 countries and regions worldwide, providing high-net-worth individuals with solutions for asset allocation and identity planning. For investors, choosing Cyprus is a way to leverage small investments for large gains in the investment game, which is also an important reason why it has become a popular country.
Others remaining on the list include Portugal, Spain, and Malta, ranking seventh, eighth, and ninth respectively. The immigration policies of Portugal, Spain, and Malta have no requirements for language, academic qualifications, business background, or source of funds. Furthermore, the residency requirements are quite relaxed, the threshold is low, and investment immigration can be achieved in one step.