Highlights from the 2025 Thousand-Person Roundtable Forum: Corporate Globalization and Residency Planning

On June 21, 2025, the '2025 China Corporate Globalization Cooperation and Exchange Conference,' organized and title-sponsored by WorldWay Group, was successfully held in Shenzhen! This was a grand event for Chinese enterprises going global, bringing together a thousand entrepreneurs to map out a new blueprint for international expansion. WorldWay's residency planning helps enterprises go global and reach the world! Nearly 1,000 attendees, including founders of renowned Chinese enterprises, domestic and international globalization experts and scholars, entrepreneurs, senior executives, and investors, actively participated.

Although the 2025 China Corporate Globalization Cooperation and Exchange Conference has concluded, the roundtable seminar titled 'Corporate Globalization and Residency Planning,' hosted by Ms. Li Ma, Vice President of WorldWay Group, and the speeches delivered by the WorldWay expert think tank at the roundtable forum, remain deeply memorable and hold significant guiding value for Chinese enterprises and entrepreneurs going global. Want to know the key information shared by the guests? Here are the highlights!

Roundtable Forum Discussion — Corporate Globalization and Residency Planning

Solving the Challenges Faced by Enterprises and Business Owners in Going Global

Visa Barriers, Work Authorization Barriers, and Residency Barriers

In this roundtable discussion, hosted by Ms. Li Ma, Vice President of WorldWay Group, a panel of experts—including Nicolai Hinrichsen, Partner at the renowned U.S. law firm Miller Mayer; U.S. Investment Immigration Planning Expert Yiyi Lv; U.S. Extraordinary Ability Planning Expert Wei Xiong; European Residency Planning Expert Huihui Zhao; Amanda WANG, Founder and Chairperson of Panama CASA Group; and Hui Fan, General Manager of WorldWay Shenzhen—focused on discussing the visa, work authorization, and residency barriers faced by enterprises and business owners during the process of global expansion.

Ms. Li Ma, Vice President of WorldWay Group, pointed out that going global has become an inevitable path for Chinese enterprises. However, Chinese enterprises face certain barriers when expanding internationally, and residency planning is precisely the solution to overcome these obstacles. The six invited guests shared professional advice centered on popular immigration pathways in the United States, Europe, and Central America, helping entrepreneurs efficiently obtain overseas residency to support business expansion. The session was packed with valuable insights!

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Shared by Mr. Nicolai Hinrichsen, Partner at the renowned U.S. law firm Miller Mayer — The Most Suitable Pathways for Chinese Entrepreneurs to Obtain a U.S. Green Card

In 2024, the trade volume between China and the U.S. reached as high as $688.3 billion. However, the constantly changing tariff barrier policies have undoubtedly cast a shadow over Chinese enterprises going global. Many Chinese enterprises are actively seeking ways to break through. The first problem faced by enterprises going global is how to use residency planning and U.S. immigration law to optimize the legal status of the enterprise or the individual, which is a key step in solving the difficulties of entering the U.S. market.

Speaking of U.S. residency planning, in layman's terms, it means obtaining a U.S. Green Card. To this end, Mr. Nicolai Hinrichsen, Partner at Miller Mayer, one of the top three immigration law firms in the U.S., analyzed the mainstream pathways currently most suitable for Chinese entrepreneurs to obtain a U.S. Green Card as a forum guest. He highlighted two methods: obtaining a Green Card through EB-5 investment and through EB-1A & NIW extraordinary ability categories. Mr. Hinrichsen particularly emphasized that EB-5, as a long-standing act, is a stable and continuous investment immigration channel in U.S. immigration law and is a more practical choice with relatively clear thresholds. For Chinese entrepreneurs seeking stability and predictability, EB-5 is undoubtedly one of the preferred options for planning U.S. residency at this stage.

In addition, addressing the long waiting times encountered by many who immigrated to the U.S. through investment immigration before the pandemic, Mr. Hinrichsen specifically pointed out that the approval efficiency of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has greatly improved. Under the new EB-5 act, I-526E petitions can be approved in about 3-11 months on average. At the same time, 'concurrent filing' is possible, meaning that when filing the I-485 application, one can simultaneously file for an Employment Authorization Document (EAD) and Advance Parole (AP). After approval, one can obtain a Combo card. Currently, the application process takes about four to six months. Holders of the Combo card can legally work and study in the U.S., enter and exit the U.S. freely, and enjoy the conveniences of life as a U.S. resident.

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Shared by U.S. Investment Immigration Planning Expert Ms. Yiyi Lv —

How to Obtain U.S. Residency and Reduce Investment Risks Through Investment Pathways

Ms. Yiyi Lv pointed out that obtaining U.S. residency through investment is called U.S. investment immigration, also known as EB-5 immigration. This is a federal immigration program established by the U.S. Congress in 1990, which has a history of more than 30 years and a very mature system. The program allows foreign investors to apply for permanent U.S. Green Cards for their entire family through compliant investment in U.S. projects. Over the past 30 years, the EB-5 program has attracted hundreds of billions of dollars in foreign investment and is an 'invisible engine' driving U.S. economic development.

According to current policies, by investing $800,000 into a qualified project, one has the opportunity to obtain U.S. residency, i.e., a Green Card, for the entire family. This method has always been a popular choice for Chinese entrepreneurs to enter the U.S. market and achieve status conversion. Although there were indeed visa backlog issues in the past due to the large number of applicants, now, after the implementation of the 2022 new act, if one chooses a Rural Project, the investor will gain two major advantages: no visa backlog (no need to wait in long lines) and priority processing (significantly faster review speed).

Speaking of the U.S. immigration law requirement—investment immigration involves risk. How should this risk be understood and controlled? Ms. Yiyi Lv pointed out that according to U.S. immigration law, investment immigration must create 10 full-time jobs, and the investment must be 'at risk,' as clearly stated in the legal documents. However, it does not specify the magnitude of the risk. Therefore, a key point for investors when doing U.S. investment immigration is to choose projects with the lowest risk and clear repayment paths while adhering to the 'at risk' principle. For example, the Great Smoky Mountains Marriott Hotel project currently promoted by WorldWay has extremely strong risk control mechanisms: approximately 1.5 times the first-priority real estate collateral + developer shareholders providing joint and several liability repayment guarantees with personal assets; a multi-billion dollar fund providing I-956F denial guarantee, I-526E denial guarantee, and job creation guarantee; the project's job creation multiplier is as high as 1.7 times; it is located in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, which has tens of millions of visitors, far exceeding Yellowstone; and it is located in the golden town of Gatlinburg, where land is at a premium and rooms are hard to find. This project is a very good way to quickly obtain a U.S. Green Card for the whole family without a visa backlog through investment.

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Shared by U.S. Extraordinary Ability Planning Expert Ms. Wei Xiong —

How to Obtain a U.S. Green Card Through Extraordinary Ability Pathways

Ms. Wei Xiong pointed out that the U.S. reserves 40,000 Green Cards for top global talent every year. This is not charity, but a necessity. When Chinese enterprises set up AI laboratories in Silicon Valley or lay out biomedical R&D in Boston, what they need is not just capital, but also the talent present here who are deeply engaged in niche fields and changing industries with innovation.

The core way to immigrate to the U.S. now is either to have money or to have talent. Through U.S. extraordinary ability immigration pathways, which are the two major talent immigration categories mentioned in the market today—U.S. EB-1A and NIW—neither requires employer sponsorship. EB-1A is a fast-track Green Card customized for top industry talent, allowing one to obtain a permanent Green Card in one step without investment or employer sponsorship. It is suitable for 'top 10%' outstanding talent in five major fields: business, science, art, education, and sports. Applicants replace capital with talent, proving that their professional achievements have lasting value to the U.S. through international and domestic awards, media reports, patents, high income, etc.

NIW has a slightly lower threshold than EB-1A and is suitable for talent with high academic qualifications or special skills in fields such as science and technology, business, culture, health, and education. It also does not require employer sponsorship, as long as your professional ability has potential value and contribution to the U.S. national interest. In short, EB-1A and NIW are the two major talent immigration pathways that many corporate executives, tech talent, and industry experts hope to use to immigrate to the U.S. quickly.

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Shared by European Residency Planning Expert Ms. Huihui Zhao —

How to Help Chinese Enterprises Better Expand into Europe Through Residency Planning

Among the world's three major economies, besides China and the U.S., there is the European Union. Chinese enterprises going global is not just a matter of North America; expanding into the EU also encounters the same residency issues mentioned above. Ms. Huihui Zhao pointed out that the EU is the world's third-largest economy and has very close trade relations with China. According to data released by China Customs, bilateral trade in goods between China and the EU in 2024 was approximately $785.8 billion. The EU is very welcoming to Chinese enterprises and Chinese investors. The 27 EU member states implement a unified and relaxed trade policy. However, there is strict regulation for enterprises from non-EU countries.

For enterprises and entrepreneurs going global, planning EU residency in advance can help enterprises effectively break through trade barriers and restrictions between countries. Among the current EU countries, those with relatively friendly residency planning policies include Portugal, Greece, Cyprus, etc. Their investment methods are relatively simple and fast, including purchasing financial products, investing in real estate, or making direct donations to the country. These are also the countries most concerned and favored by global investors among many European countries. For example, in Portugal, one can quickly obtain Portuguese residency by purchasing 500,000 euros in financial products. Portugal is both an EU and a Schengen country, so after obtaining its residency, in addition to being able to travel freely in all 29 Schengen countries, one can also obtain a Portuguese passport after 5 years. This passport, also known as an EU passport, allows one to freely work, live, and study in any of the 27 EU member states.

There is another way, which is to invest in real estate, such as in Greece or Cyprus. By investing 250,000-300,000 euros in local property, one can obtain permanent residency in these two countries in one step. Apart from the investment itself, there are no other requirements such as language, academic qualifications, or business background. At the same time, there is no need to reside, which greatly reduces the difficulty of application and opens a convenient door for many Chinese people who yearn for life in Europe. These countries are all EU member states and currently have very friendly residency planning methods. We can easily and conveniently use the policies of these countries to make residency plans in advance and prepare for enterprises to go global.

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Shared by Ms. Amanda WANG, Founder and Chairperson of Panama CASA Group — How to Use Residency Planning and Free Trade Zone Policies to Expand into North and South America

Using residency planning to obtain foreign residency, investing in free trade zones, and making good use of the tax advantages of free trade zones to bring convenience to enterprises going global is already a new idea for corporate globalization. Ms. Amanda WANG pointed out that Panama is in a very important location, spanning the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans and serving as the dividing line between South and North America. So the reason I chose this place is that it has many benefits for many enterprises.

There are actually several reasons why Panama is very suitable for enterprises going global. First, it is a U.S. dollar settlement area, meaning there is no local currency, and only U.S. dollars are used for settlement, so you don't have to worry about exchange rate issues; second, it is a shipping hub, which can save a lot of freight costs, the most important part of enterprises going global; third, Panama has a very sound financial system with over 60 banks, making the entire settlement process very convenient. In addition, in terms of taxation, there is also a very big advantage, including the current very open state of the Panamanian government, which is very welcoming to people from all over the world to invest locally, so it has provided very good investment attraction policies. Whether you put your headquarters there or in the free trade zone we just mentioned, the second-largest free trade zone in the world called Colon, it has very friendly policies. When you put your headquarters in Panama, all business is tax-free, including business tax, income tax, and even the salaries of all your employees are tax-free.

Finally, talking about how to obtain Panamanian residency, Ms. Amanda WANG emphasized that Panamanian residency is very simple. You only need to buy a house for $300,000 to obtain permanent residency in Panama in about 3 to 5 months. Moreover, Panamanian permanent residency has no expiration date and does not require renewal. After obtaining this residency, you can use its ID card to open an account in Panama, and you can apply for naturalization after 5 years. Furthermore, Panama has no immigration detention (residency requirement). If you want to get a second residency, Panama is a very good choice.

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Shared by Ms. Hui Fan, General Manager of WorldWay Shenzhen —

How Entrepreneurs Should Select Immigration Agencies

Ms. Hui Fan pointed out that if entrepreneurs have the idea of 'going global,' no matter which barrier you want to solve and no matter which country is the direction, ultimately you need to successfully handle the overseas residency that 'suits your needs' through an immigration agency. Immigration agencies will cooperate with foreign lawyers, and the overseas departments and institutions involved in different countries are also different. Choosing an immigration agency is equivalent to choosing cooperation with multiple overseas institutions. Therefore, choosing a 'formal and reliable' immigration agency is very important.

Immigration is a major decision concerning the future of the family. Whether it is to solve the problems of corporate globalization, personal globalization, or considerations in many aspects such as business, family assets, travel convenience, children's education, etc., this will be a complex process that requires comprehensive planning. In this process, choosing a formal, professional, strong-branded, and well-reputed immigration agency is the key factor in determining the success or failure of immigration.

WorldWay Group has gone through 27 years since its establishment in 1998 and is very experienced; it can handle more than 20 countries and regions, giving applicants comprehensive choices. What WorldWay has built is a perfect service system: from early-stage precise assessment and customized immigration plans, to mid-stage professional and efficient handling and full-process professional escort, to late-stage settlement support and comprehensive integration into local society, forming a closed-loop service ecosystem of 'planning-handling-integration.'

For example, the American New Immigrant Alliance initiated and established by WorldWay Group has been set up in Boston and is equipped with a professional service team to fully help new immigrants integrate into American society, provide one-stop comprehensive services for families immigrating to the U.S., and is the most solid backing for investors. This comprehensive service system makes immigration no longer the end point, but a solid starting point for clients to start a new family life.

The sharing of the six guests was very practical, making the participating entrepreneurs more confident and having more direction in their decision-making when facing overseas market opportunities and residency planning choices. These sharings will help entrepreneurs have feasible paths whether they are expanding overseas markets or seeking broader development space for themselves and their families. This roundtable forum discussion was not only a transfer of knowledge, but also like lighting a lighthouse ahead, dispelling the fog in the exploration of the road ahead, and delivering a clearer and more operable 'navigation map' for the entrepreneurs present. The participating guests expressed that they benefited a lot and that the trip was worthwhile.

The 2025 China Corporate Globalization Cooperation and Exchange Conference was hosted by the Shenzhen Wuhan University Alumni Association and the Wuhan University Shenzhen Research Institute, and organized by WorldWay Group and the International Exchange and Cooperation Committee of the Shenzhen Wuhan University Alumni Association. The conference received strong support from the Shenzhen Office of the People's Government of Hubei Province and the Department of Commerce of Hubei Province, and received great assistance from more than 20 chambers of commerce and institutions including the China Entrepreneur Research Center, the Wuhan University New York Alumni Association/Shanghai Alumni Association/Macau Alumni Association/Hong Kong Alumni Association, the Shenzhen Enterprise Confederation, the Shenzhen Entrepreneur Association, the Shenzhen Hubei Chamber of Commerce, the Shenzhen Cross-Border E-Commerce Association, the Guangdong Shenzhen Customs Brokers Association, the Guangdong (Shenzhen) Jiangsu Chamber of Commerce, the Shenzhen Shaanxi Revitalization Promotion Association, and the WorldWay Wealth Club.

As the only immigration service institution deeply involved in organizing the conference, WorldWay Group uses its 27 years of experience in global residency planning to help Chinese entrepreneurs go global. With its outstanding expertise in the field of 'global residency planning,' WorldWay always walks side by side with Chinese entrepreneurs, providing comprehensive and professional overseas development support for their individuals, families, and enterprises. In the future, WorldWay will continue to deepen its platform advantages, help Chinese enterprises and entrepreneurs grasp broader overseas opportunities, and jointly draw a new blueprint for sailing to the world!

Corporate globalization, residency first. Currently, WorldWay can provide residency planning projects in 23 countries (regions) for you to choose from. Your consultation is welcome.

More detailed content of the conference will be reported continuously, please stay tuned. For inquiries in mainland China: 400-138-2929, Hong Kong, China Customer Service Center: (852) 2802 8798

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