A recent joint survey released by the China Merchants Bank and Bain & Co. reveled that more than 500,000 Chinese citizens are planning to emigrate and they have more than $1.5 million investible assets per person. Their preferred destination is none other than the United States.
More than 3,000 Chinese nationals have applied for investor visas so far this year in the U.S. This is a sharp increase compared to 2007 where only 270 applications filed for the entire year. Also, the number of investor visa applications filed by Chinese nationals represents about 78 percent of the total applications received under this category. The U.S. investor visa, also known as EB-5, requires only $500,000 minimum investment in a commercial project employing at least 10 Americans within two years.
Most of the Chinese nationals who apply for investor visa are looking for better education opportunities for their children and access to better health care. Some Chinese leaders educate their children outside the China. Rich Chinese nationals are also considering the investor visa in the U.S. as an insurance against any sudden ban by the Chinese government. They are also concerned at the rate of the Chinese government’s recent military built up.
