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Rich Chinese angry over cancelled Canadian immigrant program
By Nathan VanderKlippe
A group of millionaires who are on the backlog of applicants threaten legal action
A group of angry Chinese millionaires is threatening legal action against the Canadian government after Ottawa cancelled a popular immigration program that dashed the hopes of thousands of wealthy foreigners.
The immigrant investor program offered a way to buy entrance into Canada for people with a net worth of $1.6-million who were able to lend Ottawa $800,000 interest-free for five years. Citing its "limited economic benefit," the Conservative government said on Feb. 11 that it intends to kill the program, leaving behind the 65,000 people on an enormous backlog of applicants.
About three-quarters of those were Chinese, most of them eager for a ticket into the British Columbia Lower Mainland, with its familiar culture and access to Canadian food safety and health care.
Their hopes now dashed, a small group of those millionaires is now lashing out and demanding compensation, saying they have given up much in waiting to come to Canada – and deserve something for their pain.
They made their case from a location that hardly engendered much sympathy for their plight. On Tuesday, 10 of the applicants gathered on the 61st floor of the Beijing Park Hyatt, in one of the poshest corners of China. They are by their own admission wealthy. One of the men bought a house in Vancouver for $2-million as he waited for admission to the country. Asked if that caused him any hardship, he offered a blunt no.
Those here see the path to Canada in the kind of crass commercial terms that might make some Canadians uncomfortable.
"The applicants have submitted their applications in good faith and submitted their fees. There is a reasonable expectation that this is a business transaction, and that they will be processed," said Victor Lum, vice-president at Well Trend United Consulting, a Beijing immigration agency that has helped to co-ordinate those speaking out against Ottawa's decision.
Those fees, about $2,000, will probably be refunded.
But that's "far, far from enough," Well Trend president Larry Wang said. There is lost opportunity, the costs incurred by thousands of people and their families who put lives on hold as they waited for what seemed a sure ticket to Canada, the consultants said. The applicants "are the victims in this case," Mr. Lum said.
They have consulted lawyers, but are waiting on Ottawa to formally cancel the program before they finalize their legal strategy. They say the program's cancellation is a breach of contract law, and, in a letter sent to members of Parliament, "neither lawful nor ethical."
It is not clear what their chances might be in court. Canada is a sovereign nation, and citizens of other nations have no guaranteed right to a Maple Leaf passport, nor residency in Canada.
And the immigrant investor program was fraught with problems. The Conservatives, in cancelling it, cited a statistic showing that, over 20 years, an average millionaire immigrant investor pays nearly $100,000 less in taxes than a live-in caregiver.
The Globe and Mail, in a 2011 investigation, found a striking willingness to engage in fraud by consultants working with immigrant investors to Canada. Of 22 contacted, more than 80 per cent offered to help doctor documents, including many who promised to make even past prison sentences disappear. Jason Kenney, then the immigration minister, acknowledged that "crooked consultants" were a problem for the program.
There are still ways into Canada for a wealthy immigrant, who could, for example, buy a Canadian company and then bring himself or herself in to work for it. But that is a more complicated process, with less assured results.
It may be simpler just to look elsewhere. Canada's initial suspension (in 2012) and subsequent plan to cancel the immigrant investor program have coincided with a dramatic rise in the use of the U.S. EB-5 visa program, that country's avenue for immigrant investors. Washington issued fewer than 2,000 such visas in 2010; last year, 8,567 EB-5 visas went out. More than 80 per cent of the applicants are Chinese.
Meanwhile, the cancellation of the Canadian program offers a window into the hope that this country continues to inspire in the rest of the world. Those on the immigrant investor wait list may be wealthy, relative even to Canadian standards, but they have also made unusual sacrifices to try to move across the Pacific.
Take Du Jun, a 54-year-old who works in information services. Soon after applying in 2010, he enrolled his child in a Canadian-curriculum school in China. Now, graduation is nearing with little hope of the family immigrating to Canada. And that curriculum is poor preparation for China's standardized college entrance exams.
Or take Duan Wuhong, a 49-year-old mother of three. She moved to Shanghai to prepare her immigration application. She chose Canada after putting it to her children, who said it was "the best choice" over the United States, France, Britain and New Zealand. At the time, she thought that her bid to move to Canada "was the best choice and the best decision for me." Now, she sees it as "the worst choice I've ever made." She practically spits when she speaks.
Rong Bing, a 47-year-old former investment banker, has gone without work since 2009 as he waited to move to Canada, hoping that any month would bring positive news. It never came. He offers an unusually poignant argument for coming to Canada. The 1989 student protests that led to the Tiananmen massacre instilled a yearning for Western democracy and human rights that, even decades later, has lodged itself "in our hearts deeply," he said. What he wants most is more of that.
"We are all rich businessmen. We have a rather reasonable life in China," he said. They have the money to buy good health care and imported food. "So that is not all our pursuit for immigration," he said. "I know Canada is a country full of freedom, justice and friendliness. That spirit is the real reason why we want to immigrate to Canada."
This is the main problem, in that these rich Chinese "businessman" think that being rich and having money means they are entitled to anything and everything they want.
They do not realize there are things that money cannot buy, and there are things that are not for sale.
I remember when I worked retail in the lower mainland, I would often have these rich mainland customers ask to be bumped ahead of other customers for services that they are waiting for, when told that it is first come first serve, all they reply is "i pay more money", in their broken english.
We do not need people with that mentality in this country...I am all for welcoming foreign investors that will actually come here and use their wealth to create more jobs, and build more infrastructure, not the ones that will just come here and do whatever they want because they have money.
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Originally Posted by skiiipi
This is the main problem, in that these rich Chinese "businessman" think that being rich and having money means they are entitled to anything and everything they want.
They do not realize there are things that money cannot buy, and there are things that are not for sale.
I remember when I worked retail in the lower mainland, I would often have these rich mainland customers ask to be bumped ahead of other customers for services that they are waiting for, when told that it is first come first serve, all they reply is "i pay more money", in their broken english.
We do not need people with that mentality in this country...I am all for welcoming foreign investors that will actually come here and use their wealth to create more jobs, and build more infrastructure, not the ones that will just come here and do whatever they want because they have money.
I would told them sure you cane bump ahead if every single customer ahead of you agree to it and not only have to pay more for service but you have to pay every single customer in front of you.
Have that happen with customer service as well. I simply tell them well sure everyone pays the same and we don't charge any group of customer more money so our schedule is all first come first serve but if you like I can transfer you to my supervisor who only speaks English =D. They usually shut up after because they know they can't speak very good English so is pretty useless to speak to my supervisor who only speaks English.
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Canada. A country that has free health care, fresh air and water, and good people. Let's keep it that way.
If you come to this country, don't polute it with your ideas on how things should be. Because, in the long run, the country you came to for whatever reason, will no longer be that country.
Immigrants in the past, came to this country to start a new life. To raise a family and be successful. Canada offered so much and these immigrants were very appreciative. Some never bothered to learn the language, but at least they knew their sons and daughters would.
Not really doing well trying to explain it, but there is a reason these types of people are not wanted here in this country.
I feel for the CBC who earned the right to be in this country. Everyone acknowledges their hard work and contributions to this wonderful country we call home. Their history, struggles, etc are well documented. These new immigrants make a mockery of all that.
If these wealthy new immigrants came here to start a new life and made it a point to help the less fortunate new Canadians, then by all means. However, I have this feeling most of them got rich on the backs of the poor and don't give a rats ass about our environment, culture, lifestyle, or anyone else in this country except themselves.
/rant, sermon, whathaveyou.
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This is the main problem, in that these rich Chinese "businessman" think that being rich and having money means they are entitled to anything and everything they want.
They do not realize there are things that money cannot buy, and there are things that are not for sale.
I remember when I worked retail in the lower mainland, I would often have these rich mainland customers ask to be bumped ahead of other customers for services that they are waiting for, when told that it is first come first serve, all they reply is "i pay more money", in their broken english.
We do not need people with that mentality in this country...I am all for welcoming foreign investors that will actually come here and use their wealth to create more jobs, and build more infrastructure, not the ones that will just come here and do whatever they want because they have money.
^this
but if they're just here to practice "i do whatever i want cause i have money" and drive up the housing market then fck off lol
In other news, poor Canadian people are happy Posted via RS Mobile
more like majority of Canadians are going to benefit from this. these people sent their kids and wife here in this country taking up resources, while the husband stays in china making dough without paying a penny of tax to CRA.
CRA needs to crackdown hard on these recent immigrants too. someone of them I know report almost no income in this country when I know them have multiple houses in China which the buy and sell but report no cap gain taxes and rental properties in U.S. that does not get reported.
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Originally Posted by Carl Johnson
more like majority of Canadians are going to benefit from this. these people sent their kids and wife here in this country taking up resources, while the husband stays in china making dough without paying a penny of tax to CRA.
CRA needs to crackdown hard on these recent immigrants too. someone of them I know report almost no income in this country when I know them have multiple houses in China which the buy and sell but report no cap gain taxes and rental properties in U.S. that does not get reported.
Is pretty easy to crackdown on them if the gov wanted to. They immigrate to Canada using the investment program so that means they have at least 800k. So if their wife, kids, parents claim low income. All the gov needs to do is look at their database and simply ask where is their 800k?
If you have at least 800k then you aren't a low income family.
If these wealthy new immigrants came here to start a new life and made it a point to help the less fortunate new Canadians, then by all means. However, I have this feeling most of them got rich on the backs of the poor and don't give a rats ass about our environment, culture, lifestyle, or anyone else in this country except themselves.
Bang on. I'm all for immigration for those who wish to start a life but for fuck sakes, START A NEW LIFE! Don't bring your bullshit here. Assimilate, god dammit, assimilate!! Learn the culture, enjoy the surroundings and your new way of life. Give back to the country that opened it's door for you. At least make a fuckin' effort.
I dunno. Growing up in Richmond and seeing the way it's changed over the last 30 years made me recently buy a house in Ladner. LOL!
Is pretty easy to crackdown on them if the gov wanted to. They immigrate to Canada using the investment program so that means they have at least 800k. So if their wife, kids, parents claim low income. All the gov needs to do is look at their database and simply ask where is their 800k?
If you have at least 800k then you aren't a low income family.
The problem is, wealth doesn't always equate to income. Hypothetically speaking, they could be depositing their money into a savings account earning little to no interest and they only have a house in which they occupy the entire house without renting it out, this will result in them being considered low income.
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Originally posted by Miss_Girly
Bring some RS people with you to help u GANG BANG the guy!!
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^^^ or he just doesn't know any better. At least get yourself a white washed Asian lady who DOESN'T have the personality of a wet dish cloth Posted via RS Mobile
Bang on. I'm all for immigration for those who wish to start a life but for fuck sakes, START A NEW LIFE! Don't bring your bullshit here. Assimilate, god dammit, assimilate!! Learn the culture, enjoy the surroundings and your new way of life. Give back to the country that opened it's door for you. At least make a fuckin' effort.
I dunno. Growing up in Richmond and seeing the way it's changed over the last 30 years made me recently buy a house in Ladner. LOL!
I'm totally with you on this one but its long been said that Canadas culture is almost like a mosaic whereas the US is more like a melting pot and this is one of the reason why immigrants prefer Canada over the US because they can still retain some of their culture. But youčre right, it pisses me off that these immigrants make no effort into assimilating or at least learn to live with the typical Canadian culture and I can already see how this is changing the entire culture of cities where a large % of residents are immigrants
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Originally posted by Miss_Girly
Bring some RS people with you to help u GANG BANG the guy!!
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sorry but most china girls wont date someone poorer than them, good luck
I think you're missing the point. As Canadian citizens, we posses what the china girls want. A ticket to Canada. Its doesn't matter how poor you are if the china girl's family wants into Canada at any cost with a guaranteed opportunity to raise children in a clean environment. Marriage to a Canadian citizen provides a different avenue and a better chance for immigration or permanent resident status for the china girl and her rich china famiry. Better chance than any investor programme.
I'm totally with you on this one but its long been said that Canadas culture is almost like a mosaic whereas the US is more like a melting pot and this is one of the reason why immigrants prefer Canada over the US because they can still retain some of their culture. But youčre right, it pisses me off that these immigrants make no effort into assimilating or at least learn to live with the typical Canadian culture and I can already see how this is changing the entire culture of cities where a large % of residents are immigrants
I'm all for new and different culture and welcome it to the country I was born in. The diverse populous is what makes Canada so great after all. But when I'm inundated with it constantly it can be overwhelming. If I was rich I wouldn't move to China, buy a Roll Royce and put Canada as my personal license plate. That's just arrogant. I guess it's just the cultural differences that separate us. Maybe there are neighborhoods in China that are full of white people, speaking English only, having back yard BBQ's, eating at restaurants, shopping at malls and attending events that are geared towards their culture and lifestyle.
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