The latest data from the U.S. Department of State shows that from October 2008 to September 2009, a total of 4,218 EB-5 visa immigrants were approved, with approximately 70% coming from China.
The age composition of clients choosing immigration is between 30 to 45 years old, with the vast majority having received higher education, possessing considerable fixed assets and stable families. "Most generally come from developed cities, predominantly first and second-tier cities. Currently, there is a growing number of clients from Shanxi and Inner Mongolia, as well as from Xinjiang. The middle class, composed of private business owners, self-employed individuals, and senior corporate executives, has become the main force in the overseas immigration wave, and this trend shows no signs of abating."
The reasons for choosing investment immigration, aside from providing a better development platform for their children and ensuring a safe and comfortable retirement environment for themselves, include a significant point: investment—using investment immigration as a vehicle to channel funds into approved investment areas, thus earning returns while also achieving immigration, which can be considered a win-win situation.
Many people actually operate in both countries, with their work focus still in China, continuing to do business domestically after obtaining their status. They can experience two different lifestyles in two different countries, relocating their homes without changing their nationality. Each person's situation is different, but the regulated laws, education, high welfare, low tax rates, low inheritance tax, healthy air, safe food, and the convenience of visa-free travel with a passport from multiple countries indeed attract many.
Even when considering the cost of immigration itself, investment immigration is more cost-effective than study immigration.
Who bears the risk?
The Chinese study immigration market has developed over more than twenty years, from labor exports in the late 1970s, the influx of foreign students in the late 1980s, to the current investment immigration. In terms of numbers, the number of applicants has been increasing year by year, but compared to before, this time there is a "comprehensive rationality." "Many people have a clear plan for their lives, and the attraction of immigrating overseas mainly lies in the openness, fairness, and stability of developed countries' systems. They hope for more equitable opportunities that developed societies can provide, which better meet their expectations for wealth stability.
Choosing suitable investment projects has become particularly important, as it not only relates to the success of immigration but also to whether the investment can be recovered within the planned timeframe.
Taking the currently popular U.S. EB-5 investment immigration project as an example, it is based on the provisions of the U.S. Immigration Act of 1990: foreigners investing in the U.S. are entitled to obtain permanent residency. There are 10,000 visas available each year, of which 5,000 are reserved for investors who choose to invest in targeted employment areas. According to this program, foreign immigrant applicants can obtain a two-year conditional immigrant visa by investing in a commercial enterprise that benefits the U.S. economy and creating 10 full-time jobs for U.S. workers.
EB-5 investment immigration carries certain risks. U.S. investment immigration involves investing in various projects, and the key issue is that any investment project carries risks.