Prospective EB-5 investors from Montreal, Quebec pursuing an EB-5 investment should think about investing in an EB-5 visa project sponsored by the EB5 Affiliate Network (EB5AN).
EB-5 Investors from Montreal
EB-5 investors from Montreal and neighboring cities in Quebec are welcome to request information on available EB-5 investment projects. EB5AN currently has a number of investment projects with open subscription periods. EB-5 investors from Montreal can also enquire about EB5 investment projects sponsored by an EB5AN EB-5 regional center.
Foreign nationals residing in Montreal who are considering making an EB-5 investment should know that they are welcome to reach out to the EB5 Affiliate Network. The team can be contacted by phone at 1-800-288-9138 or emailed at info@EB5AN.com.
Why Most EB-5 Investors Invest Through a Regional Center
EB-5 regional centers expedite the EB-5 investment process for prospective EB-5 participants. Regional centers also have a less stringent criteria for the job creation requirement. While direct EB5 investors must prove they hired full-time (W-2) workers and kept them employed for at least two years, regional center investors need only prove that their investment capital was used according to their original business plan. Regional center investors are also permitted to count indirect and induced jobs towards their employment quota.
EB5 Affiliate Network manages a number of USCIS-approved regional centers that are disseminated widely across the United States, making it easy for the Network to instantly sponsor promising EB-5 projects in cities across the United States.
How to Assess EB-5 Investment Projects
EB-5 investors based in Montreal and the surrounding areas in Quebec should assess both financial and immigration risk when choosing an EB-5 investment project.
One of the factors that contributes to a thriving EB-5 visa investment is compliance to the “at risk” requirement. This regulation is in place to make sure the investor’s capital is actually invested and incurs equal likelihood of financial loss as gain.
Despite its connotation, “at risk” does not mean the EB-5 investor must select a high-risk project. In reality, EB-5 investors should conduct due diligence on all potential projects to reduce their chances of contending with financial and immigration risk.
In collaboration with Klasko Immigration Law Partners, EB5AN has created an EB-5 Project Risk Assessment Tool for EB-5 investors. User-accessible and efficient, the tool helps investors understand the potential financial and immigration risk of EB-5 projects during the initial diligence stages.
Download our EB-5 Project Risk Assessment Questionnaire
EB-5 Investment in Montreal
Montreal: Population and Income Demographics
The city of Montreal covers an area of 166.6 square miles and has a population of 1.7 million people with a population density of 347 people per square mile. Montreal is currently the second most densely populated Canadian city, right behind Toronto. Recent statistics suggest that the median household income after taxes in Montreal is $53,721 CAD.
Montreal: Culture and Economy
The largest city in Canada’s Quebec province, Montreal boasts a number of tourist attractions and cultural and historical landmarks, including the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts and Canadian Centre for Architecture. Old Port, or Vieux-Montreal, is a popular tourist attraction, a collection of streets that are a preservation of the city’s colonial origins. Tourists and locals alike often flock to Mont-Royal, the hill at the heart of the city that offers splendid views. Montreal is also home to some of the world’s top universities, including McGill University, Concordia University and the University of Quebec at Montreal (UQAM).
Main EB-5 Investment Qualifications
The main EB-5 investment qualifications are as listed:
- Making an investment of at least $800,000 in a project situated in a rural or high unemployment area with a targeted employment area (TEA) designation. Projects situated outside of TEAs have a threshold investment amount of $1,050,000 but all EB-5 investment projects offered by EB5AN are situated in TEAs and therefore only require the smaller investment amount of $800,000.
- Producing and sustaining at least 10 full-time jobs for authorized U.S. employees that endure for at least two years.
- Making an investment in a qualifying new commercial enterprise (NCE) or troubled business.
- Using investment capital that has been lawfully sourced and ensuring the investment remains “at risk”.
Why Montreal EB-5 Investors Should Pursue a Green Card
The reasons why EB-5 investors from Montreal should try to acquire a green card are as listed:
U.S. Resident Status and Citizenship
- The EB-5 program is one of the fastest ways to obtain permanent residency in the United States. Permanent resident status is not only granted to the Montreal-based EB-5 investor but also their spouse and unmarried children under 21.
- A retired green card holder can retrieve pensions from overseas, as well as in the U.S. They may also be entitled to receive Medicare and other forms of social assistance.
- After five years of maintaining permanent resident status, EB-5 investors from Montreal are eligible to apply for U.S. citizenship.
Work Benefits
- A Montreal EB-5 investor with a green card can live and work without any restrictions within the United States.
- The United States has a diverse range of areas to live in, from tropical regions like Hawaii and California to mountainous states like Colorado.
- States such as Alaska and Nevada have the added bonus of no state income tax.
- EB-5 investors from Montreal with green cards will not need visa or employer sponsorship.
- Montreal-based green card holders are not required to have an H-1B work visa to be lawfully employed.
Travel Without Restrictions
- Green card holders are allowed to go in and out of the U.S. without being refused entry at the border, though there are still some applicable travel constraints.
- Green card holders are travel anywhere within the United States.
- An EB-5 investor from Montreal would be permitted to enter the U.S. immediately along with their family in the event a political event or significant change takes place in the investor’s home city.
Access to Education
- There is free public education available to green card holders at the elementary, middle and high school levels, as well as reduced in-state tuition at public college and universities.
- Having a U.S. green card increases the possibility of being accepted by a U.S. university by up to 350%.
- A U.S. green card grants qualification for in-state tuition, scholarships and bursaries.
- Permanent residents are permitted to apply for postgraduate appointments and be employed in internships while studying.
Events and Available Consultation for EB-5 Investors from Montreal
EB5 Affiliate Network offers support and solutions to all EB-5 investors, including those from Montreal. The Vice President of EB5AN, Jake Hoyle, is currently overseeing all Canadian EB-5 investors and is free for one-on-one consultations. EB-5 investors from Montreal with any questions are welcome to book a one-on-one consultation with Jake Hoyle by accessing his ScheduleOnce page.
There are also events organized by EB5AN that are good opportunities for EB-5 investors to receive guidance on the EB-5 process. These events, a number of which take place in select Canadian cities, are free to sign up for but have limited spots. The EB5AN event web page has a list of all different event dates and times. Interested EB-5 investors can register by clicking here.
