Residence by Investment Visa

Residence by investment programs allow an applicant to obtain a permanent residency visa for a country by making an investment such as purchase of property or investment in a business. The programs (on their own) do not allow the applicant to obtain citizenship. However, the person may eventually be able to apply for citizenship using standard naturalization procedures after residing in the country for a required amount of time.

Numerous countries offer different types of residence programs including United States, Canada, Portugal, Singapore, Spain, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom and others. Below you can see a short description of some immigration opportunities we can assist you with.

USA

EB-5 Visa (Green card)

The EB-5 visa program is administered by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). Successful applicants and their family can apply for a green card. The EB-5 visa program requires applicants to invest $800,000 and requires at least 10 jobs to be either created or preserved.

E-2 (Non-immigrant)

The E-2 investor visa program allows foreign nationals of certain countries to invest in a start up, buy a business or a franchise to reside legally in the U.S. The initial visa term varies from three months to five years depending on the U.S. reciprocity schedule with the applicant’s country of citizenship. The E-2 visa can be renewed indefinitely and it is possible for the investor to change their legal status to a green card.

The E-2 nonimmigrant classification allows a national of a treaty country (a country with which the United States maintains a treaty of commerce and navigation, or with which the United States maintains a qualifying international agreement, or which has been deemed a qualifying country by legislation) to be admitted to the United States when investing a substantial amount of capital in a U.S. business. Certain employees of such a person or of a qualifying organization may also be eligible for this classification.

See U.S. Department of State’s Treaty Countries for a current list of countries with which the United States maintains a treaty of commerce and navigation.

Program applicants must usually fulfill multiple qualification criteria. Investment can take a variety of forms including a contribution to government funds; purchase of qualifying real estate (e.g. specific government-sanctioned projects).

Qualified treaty investors and employees will be allowed a maximum initial stay of two years. Requests for extension of stay in, or changes of status to, E-2 classification may be granted in increments of up to two years each. There is no limit to the number of extensions an E-2 nonimmigrant may be granted. All E-2 nonimmigrants, however, must maintain an intention to depart the United States when their status expires or is terminated

Canada

Entrepreneurs and start-up founders are offered the option of a start-up visa for which the rules and funding requirements varies according to the source of funding the business-owner(s) has/have obtained to finance their business. The program aims to recruit innovative entrepreneurs to the country by linking them with Canadian angel investor groups, venture capital funds or business incubators to facilitate the establishment of their start-up business in Canada.

What is the minimum investment that I need to apply through the Start-up Visa Program?

If the investment comes from a designated Canadian venture capital fund, you must secure a minimum investment of $200,000.

If the investment comes from a designated Canadian angel investor group, you must secure a minimum investment of $75,000.

You don’t need to secure a financial investment from a business incubator. You must be accepted into a Canadian business incubator program.

See the list of designated organizations for more information.

PORTUGAL

What is the Portugal Golden Visa?

Created in 2012, the Portugal Golden Visa is known as one of the most attractive in the world. The Portugal Golden Visa was created to boost foreign investment to benefit the Portuguese economy. The program allows non-EU citizens to qualify for a residency permit and eventually a passport in the country through investments.

With a Portugal Golden Visa, you can live in Portugal and travel within most European countries without an issue. However, you do not need to live in Portugal to be eligible for this visa. All you need to do is to stay in the country for at least 7 days in the first year and 14 days in the subsequent years. The investor can apply for permanent residence if they follow all the requirements and complete the 5 years necessary. After legally residing in Portugal for at least 6 years, the investor can apply for Portuguese citizenship and potentially obtain a passport.

There are five types of investments you can make to qualify for a Portugal Golden Visa: a real estate acquisition, an investment fund, a capital transfer, job creation, or making a donation.

You can get a Portugal Golden Visa by purchasing a property. Most people think you need to purchase property that costs at least €500,000 in Portugal to get a Golden Visa. However, you can spend less. If you purchase real estate in a low-density area in Portugal, the minimum to spend is €400,000. You can also buy real estate that is over 30 years old in an urban rehabilitation area and renovate it for at least €350,000.

You do not need to buy one property, you can purchase multiple properties. Just make sure to meet the minimum amount. You can also combine your investment with other applicants. For example, if you purchase a €1 million house with a friend, both of you can apply for the Portugal Golden Visa, as each of you has spent a minimum of €500,000.

However, since January 2022, you cannot purchase residential properties in Lisbon, Porto, and coastal towns. Only residential properties in Azores and Madeira, as well as interior territories, are now eligible for the Portuguese Golden Visa through residential real estate investment.