The investment amount for an Investor Visa majorly depends on the country that you are investing in. Different countries have different eligibility criteria for an applicant’s eligibility. Some countries have different eligibility criteria as per the state you are investing in, like Canada.

For an Investor Visa under the British Columbia Provincial Nominee Program, the minimum investment amount is CAD $200,000. You also need to have a personal net worth of at least CAD $600,000.

For the province of Manitoba in Canada, you need to invest at least CAD $250,000 if you wish to set up your business in the Manitoba Capital Region. To set up a business elsewhere in Manitoba, you need to make a minimum investment of at least CAD $150,000. You also need to have a personal net worth of CAD $500,000.

Minimum £50,000 in investment funds will be required to apply for a UK Innovator visa if an individual intends setting up a new business. 

Thus, the investment amount differs as per the country as well as the visa category.

International students in the UK who have a viable business idea may apply for the Tier 1 Graduate Entrepreneur Visa. This visa allows the Visa holder to set up their own business in the UK. Thus, successful applicants are allowed to extend their stay in the UK to set up one or more than one business in the UK.

You can apply for the Tier 1 Graduate Entrepreneur Visa if:

1. You are not a citizen of any country in the EEA (European Economic Area) or Switzerland
2. You should have graduated from an educational institution in the UK and should be officially endorsed for having a viable business plan
3. You meet all the other eligibility requirements

However, the UK will not accept any new applications for the Graduate Entrepreneur Visa from 6th July 2019.

The Tier 1 Graduate Entrepreneur Visa is being replaced by the Start-up Visa.

This visa category exclusively caters to entrepreneurs with high potential who are starting a business for the first time.

The application for this visa can be submitted three months before your intended date of travel to the UK. Other eligibility requirements include:

• Are not a citizen of the EEA and Switzerland
• Wish to set up a business in the UK
• The business idea must be endorsed by a higher education institute in the UK or a business organization that supports UK entrepreneurs
• No requirement for an initial investment
• Applicant must be at least 18 years old
• Applicant must fulfill English language requirements
• Applicants must have enough funds to support their stay in the UK

Indians are not eligible for the E2 Visa. India does not have a Trade or Commerce Treaty with the US and hence Indians cannot get the E2 Visa.

The E2 Visa of the USA is exclusively for countries that have a Treaty of Trade and Commerce with the US. The E2 Visa is an Investor Visa that allows overseas entrepreneurs to live and work in the US.

The validity of the E2 Visa ranges from 3 months to 5 years depending on the country of origin.

The list of current treaty countries is as below:

1. Yugoslavia 2. United Kingdom 3.Ukraine 4. Turkey 5. Tunisia 6. Trinidad and Tobago 7. Togo 8. Thailand 9. Switzerland 10. Sweden 11. Suriname 12. Sri Lanka 13. Spain 14. The Slovak Republic 15. Senegal 16. Romania 17. Republic of Congo 18. Poland 19. Philippines 20. Paraguay 21. Panama 22. Pakistan 23. Oman 24. Norway 25. Netherlands 26. Morocco 27. Mongolia 28. Moldova 29. Mexico 30. Luxembourg 31. Liberia 32. Kyrgyzstan 33. Korea 34. Kazakhstan 35. Japan 36. Jamaica 37. Italy 38. Ireland 39. Honduras 40. Grenada 41. Germany 42. Georgia 43. France 44. Finland 45.Ethiopia 46. Egypt 47. Ecuador 48. The Democratic Republic of the Congo 49. The Czech Republic 50. Costa Rica 51. Colombia 52. Canada 53. Cameroon 54. Bulgaria 55. Belgium 56. Bangladesh 57. Austria 58. Australia 59. Armenia 60. Argentina

The application process for an Investor Visa differs from country to country. Every country that offers an Investor Visa has a different set of requirements that needs to be met before you apply for the Visa.

For example, if you wish to apply for the UK Innovator Visa, you can submit your application to the UKBA. You will need to include a detailed business proposal along with the other supporting documents for the UK Innovator Visa.

However, if you wish to apply for the Investor Visa in any province in Canada, you need to first submit an online profile. If your online profile is selected, you may then proceed to submit your business proposal and visa application.

Since the application process differs from country to country, it is best to seek the advice of an Immigration Expert. Also, Investor Visas are expensive and hence it is highly recommended to seek the advice of an Expert to get the right guidance.

The requirements of an Investor Visa differ from country to country. Hence the documents needed will also depend on the country that you are applying for.

The documents required also depend on the Visa category that you apply for.

For example, the document checklist for the UK Innovator Visa is different from the Sole Representative Visa of the UK. For the newly announced Start-Up Visa of the UK, you need an “endorsement letter” from an authorized entity in the UK. Such an endorsement letter is not needed for Innovator Visa or the Sole Representative Visa.

Similarly, the document checklist for the various Investor Visas in different provinces of Canada is different.

It is highly recommended to consult an Immigration Expert while applying for an Investor Visa to get the right guidance. Not only will the Expert be able to explain to you the whole process but also guide you on all the supporting documents required.

Business owners or entrepreneurs wishing to start a business in another country are aware of the benefits.

Expanding their business overseas helps them to explore untapped markets or sell their products and services which will be unique in the new market.

They can make use of the attractive options such as tax cuts and loans offered by foreign countries to encourage businesses from outside to be set up in their country.

Some countries offer a better business environment in comparison to the home country of the business owners or entrepreneurs.

Expansion of the business to other countries promotes better brand visibility and improves recognition of the business.

The Tier 1 Startup Visa has replaced the Tier 1 Graduate Entrepreneur visa program. This visa category exclusively caters to entrepreneurs with high potential who are starting a business for the first time.

The application for this visa can be submitted three months before your intended date of travel to the UK. Other eligibility requirements include:

• Are not a citizen of the EEA and Switzerland
• Wish to set up a business in the UK
• Business idea must be endorsed by a higher education institute in the UK or a business organization that supports UK entrepreneurs
• No requirement for an initial investment
• Applicant must be at least 18 years old
• Applicant must fulfil English language requirements
• Applicants must have enough funds to support their stay in the UK

Staying in the UK

• You can stay for up to two years on this visa and can bring your spouse or partner and unmarried children under the age of 18 to stay with you
• You can do work outside your business for funding your stay
• You cannot extend your visa after two years, but you can apply for the innovator visa to extend your stay and develop your business.

The investment visa for an investor visa will vary depending on the country and the visa category you are applying for. The Australian Golden visa requires an investment of AUD 5 million. Details of investment of other business visas in Australia:

1. Investor stream- For this, you will require at least AUD 1.5 million in an Australian state or territory and maintain your business and investment activity in Australia.
2. Significant investor stream- People willing to invest at least AUD 5 million in Australian investments can apply for this visa. They must be nominated by an Australian State or Territory government agency or Austrade.

As for Canada’s startup visa program, startup owners who succeed in getting through this program must be able to get the minimum required investment. If it is from a venture capital fund, the minimum investment should be $200,000. If the investment is from an angel investor group, the investment should be at least $75,000. Applicants must be accepted by a designated business incubator as a member of the business incubator program.

Eligibility requirements again are based on the country and the type of investor visa you are applying for.

For instance, if you are applying for the Subclass 188 investor visa for Australia, you must qualify for either one of the three visa sub-categories:

• Business Innovation
• Business Investment

Classification as a significant investor.

The investor must be below 55 years when submitting the application. They should have a detailed plan for the business or be willing to invest in an existing business in Australia. They should have at least 65 points which are based on various factors that include age, education, previous business activities, and investment experience.

If you are applying for the Nova Scotia Nominee Program (NSNP), you must be above 21 years, your net worth must be at least CAD 600,000. You must be willing to make a minimum investment of CAD 150,000 to establish your business in the province.

You must have at least three years’ experience in running a business or 5 years of experience in a senior management role. You must have an intention to settle in Nova Scotia.