The Canadian Government has designed the Immigrant Investor Program in order to provide experienced business people and managers with a vehicle that may provide a unique opportunity to immigrate to Canada.   The Immigrant Investor Program was created in 1986 by the Canadian Government to attract successful business immigrants to Canada.  Since its inception, the Immigrant Investor Program has attracted 18,000 immigrants and over CAN$4 billion in direct investments to Canada.  By satisfying certain requirements and investing a pre-determined amount of capital, prospective immigrants and their dependents, (spouse and dependent children, if applicable) can obtain Canadian permanent residence and benefit from Canadian citizenship at a later date.  You can qualify at any age. Furthermore, no English or French language tests are required. 

To be eligible for the Investor Program:   

1.  The investor has, alone or with his accompanying spouse, including de facto spouse, net assets of at least CAD$800,000 obtained legally. 

Assets acquired through inheritance and gifts (provided they did not occur within six months prior to the date of filing an application) are acceptable to meet the minimum net worth requirement of CAD$800,000. 

2.   The Investor must have management experience by assuming, for at least 2 years in the 5 years preceding the application for a selection certificate, of duties related to the planning, management and control of financial resources and of human or material resources under the investor’s authority; the experience does not include the experience acquired in the context of an apprenticeship, training or specialization process attested to by a diploma. 

The Investor has experience in management in a legal farming, commercial or industrial business, or in a legal professional business where the staff, excluding the investor, occupies at least the equivalent of 2 full-time jobs, or for an international agency or a government or one of its departments or agencies; 

The Investor Program eliminates the requirement that the applicant have management experience in a business that is profitable and also the requirement that the management experience have been full time.  This should mean that the Investor Program is now open to professionals, who manage their practice or a business enterprise and also spend part of their work day practicing in their profession. Professionals such as doctors, dentists, pharmacists, accountants, lawyers and engineers etc. who operate his/her own professional practices, which employ at least two full time personnel can now qualify as investors. 

3.  You must undertake to invest a minimum of CAN$400,000 for five years by signing an agreement with an approved Canadian financial intermediary such as a Canadian bank or trust company. This amount will be invested with a government agency in a province to fund a program to assist small and medium sized businesses in the province and for job creation and economic development. 

No further investment is required from the investor.  At the end of the 5 year term, CAN$400,000 is repaid to the investor without interest.  The return of the investment is fully guaranteed by the province participating in the program.  The province controls the investment during the five year lock-in period.   

There is a financing option available whereby investors can deposit CAN$120,000 and financing can be arranged by a major Canadian bank to assist you in completing the balance of the CAN$400,000 investment requirement of CAD$280,000.  No personal guarantees or collateral are required for the loan.  Once the loan is advanced, no future payments of capital and interest are required to service the loan and you will not receive any interest or capital return at maturity at the end of five years.  The total cost of this financing package is therefore limited to your initial CAN$120,000 deposit.  This disbursement will cover the interest costs for the holding period (5 years), legal fees, registration of the security, and redemption fees to liquidate the transaction as it matures at the end of 5 years.  The CAD$120,000 is a single fee covering all expenses related to your immigration investment.  No further funds will be required of you at any time.  The loan option is a fully legal and hassle free way of financing your immigration investment.  Approximately 95% of all investor applicants choose the loan option as described above for the following reasons.   The applicant’s cash outlay is greatly reduced and the applicant is therefore able to invest this sum in more lucrative investments offering a better return such as real estate or business.  The applicant is therefore able to keep his capital of CAN$280,000 working for him in the most efficient and profitable manner. 

After you have made the investment of CAN$120,000, you can transfer additional funds at anytime to your account in the Bank in Canada up to a maximum amount of CAN$280,000.  When the Bank receives your specific instructions to make payment, you can arrange to have settlement funds after you land, to purchase a home in Canada or to make any other purchases in Canada that you wish.  Therefore, you do not need to be physically present in Canada to make these financial transactions. 

The participating banks in the Immigrant Investor Program are large, well-known Canadian banks with many offices and branches overseas.  They are among the world’s largest banking and financial service organizations. 

According to a recent report of the World Bank, Canada’s banking system is the most secure and stable in the world.  Canadian banks are now the envy of the world.  Whether measured by market value, balance sheet strength or profitability, Canada’s banks have risen to the top.  The reason comes down to a fundamental conservatism.  Canada’s banks have long tended to be more careful than their global peers.  Canada’s banking sector has not experienced as severe disruptions as the financial systems of other countries because its shareholder base is dominated by large domestic institutional investors seeking steady returns. 

4.  Selection interviews with candidates are no longer obligatory.  A well documented application would eliminate the interview requirement.  

In the past few years, I have attended many Selection interviews with my Investor clients.I am therefore very familiar with the type of questions asked by the Interviewer.I can therefore prepare my clients with the correct answers to these questions in advance of the interview. This is an important advantage to have.