The third wave of immigration is surging, and investment immigration is becoming the choice of more and more families and investors. However, there are still many misconceptions regarding investment immigration and overseas living. When facing such an important choice as "immigration," it is essential to overcome these misconceptions and comprehensively consider factors such as the costs of investment immigration, the risks involved, and the benefits and quality of life obtained after successful immigration, in order to make the most suitable decision for one's circumstances.
Is immigration just about acquiring foreign nationality?
This is the first major misconception about "immigration." Many people believe that "immigration" means renouncing Chinese nationality and acquiring foreign nationality. In fact, "immigration" and "naturalization" are two different concepts that need to be analyzed based on the immigration policies of different countries. For example, the commonly known Canadian immigration in the immigration market usually refers to obtaining "permanent residency" in Canada, which means you can live in Canada, but you still hold Chinese nationality. If you wish to acquire Canadian nationality, you must meet additional conditions and go through a different application process.
Does immigration necessarily mean settling abroad?
Not necessarily. The phenomenon of "immigration without residence" is very common now. Many investors apply for immigration to obtain a status that facilitates business, travel, and study abroad, with children's education being one of the main reasons for immigration among Chinese citizens. In this case, it is quite normal to hold a foreign status while living long-term in China or frequently traveling between China and abroad. In most cases, "immigration" refers to a category of visa issued by certain countries to foreigners. After obtaining this "immigration visa," the duration of stay in the immigration country is generally at the individual's discretion. Of course, some countries have certain residency time requirements for holders of immigration visas (commonly referred to as "immigration monitoring"), while others have no such requirements at all. Even in countries with so-called "immigration monitoring," applicants are not forced to settle long-term in that country. For example, Portugal only requires a stay of 7 days in the first year, and then a total of 14 days every two years to maintain the residence visa.
Can only wealthy people immigrate?
A significant characteristic of the current third wave of immigration is its increasing youthfulness and popularity. Previously, "immigration" might have been a "patent" of a small number of wealthy individuals. However, with more choices of immigration countries and lower investment thresholds, especially after the European debt crisis, many European countries have gradually opened their doors to immigration characterized by "buying property for residency," allowing many ordinary wage earners to seize the opportunity to invest in European real estate and realize their immigration dreams. Compared to the high domestic housing prices and tightening purchase policies, investing in overseas real estate has become an increasingly popular choice for many ordinary investors.
