For those who are unfamiliar with the Canadian investment environment, and perhaps hesitant to assume the risks associated with opening a new business in a foreign country, there is an attractive option in the Canadian Immigrant Program.  

Canada's Investor Program is one of the most successful in the world as it allows you to immigrate to Canada in exchange for a significant investment in the Canadian economy. The Investor program allows candidates to satisfy Immigration requirements by passively investing in an qualified investment project through an approved Canadian Investment Dealer.  

The Canadian and Quebec Investor options are particularly attractive to international business men who wish to immigrate to Canada without having to give up business interests abroad or open a business in Canada. The programs allow the investor to make a passive government guaranteed investment in exchange for immigration. In addition Canada's new residency requirements only require the prospective investor immigrant to reside in Canada a total of two out of five years.

The generous residency regulations, government guaranteed investment, favorable financing along with immigration that allows access to one of the richest markets in the world ( NAFTA, Canada, The USA and Mexico, 280,000,000 consumers) makes the Canadian Investor program the investor program of choice for international businesspersons.

Canadian Investment rules just changed on June 28th 2002.  Significant changes to the definitions of both the Canadian and Quebec program. For specific information prospective investors CLICK HERE to find out if you are qualified under the new regulations.

Generally speaking, to qualify, you must have a minimum net worth of $ 800,000  acquired through your own endeavor from legal sources and you must be prepared to invest $400,000  for a period of five years in a government guaranteed investment fund, an amount that varies depending on your intended destination or province within Canada.  

Qualified applicants can obtain financial assistance of up to $280,000, reducing the actual net investment required to only $120,000.