The two most popular investor-based visas are the E-2 visa and the EB-5 visa.
The E-2 visa is available to Canadians who purchase or start a US business or Canadians who want to move to the US to work as an employee of a company that is majority-owned by Canadians. For those who invest in a US business, the investment must be in a significant amount and with funds that are at risk, according to USCIS regulations. This E-2 visa is beneficial because it is renewable on an unlimited basis, but it does not lead to a Green Card.
The EB-5 visa is more flexible than the E-2 visa, and, in contrast, it leads to a Green Card. The current minimum investment amount is $500,000. Canadians who invest at least the minimum amount of funds in a bona fide EB-5 project receive conditional Green Cards; once their investment creates at least 10 jobs for American workers, the conditional Green Card can be turned into a permanent Green Card. If desired, naturalization (becoming a US citizen), can be taken as a next step farther down the line.
It is important for our snowbird clients to choose the immigration path that’s right for them. Our clients set goals and objectives for their future and embark on the immigration path that will lead to the fulfilment of those goals and objectives.