藤儿点评：投资移民究竟给加拿大带来了多少好处呢？

最近公布的一项资料显示，给加拿大真正带来好处的是难民，而不是投资移民！

1. 投资移民（investor immigrants）

登陆加拿大之后第一年的报税收入平均为$18,000。

在加拿大居住3年之后只有47%申报年收入（加拿大总人口平均为67%申报收入）。

在加拿大居住5年之后仅有39%申报年收入。

在加拿大居住15年之后的年收入平均只有$28,000。

更可悲的是...

在加拿大居住15年之后，配偶/儿女的年收入与投资移民主申请人的申报收入类似．

最让人不解的是...

投资移民登陆加拿大时, 带来的家眷中的40%的人口为年龄10-19岁的子女．然而，在加拿大居住15年之后, 原本预测这些子女成年(25-34 岁)后必然位居加拿大社会的高薪阶层, 事实上他们的个人收入令人失望．

2. 难民（refugees）

登陆加拿大之后第一年的报税收入平均为$20,000。

在加拿大居住5年之后竟有2/3的难民申报年收入（加拿大总人口平均为67%申报收入）

在加拿大居住15年之后的年收入上升至平均$30,000。

------------------------------------------------------------------

来源：Richmond News 2015-02-27

Is Big Money Paying Off?

Refugees reporting more income than investor-class immigrants Data draws evidence to lack of social and economic integration by investor immigrants

Refugee immigrants are reporting higher incomes to the Canada Revenue Agency than investor-class immigrants, according to data compiled by Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC). 

Furthermore, the rate of investor immigrants reporting any income whatsoever is far below the Canadian average.

The findings, reported last week by Ian Young of the South China Morning Post, may indicate the expected social and economic benefits of the investor-class program have not shown dividends.

“The data that suggests many investor migrants tend to treat Canada as some kind of holiday resort or educational/retirement bolt hole, while doing business back ‘home’ is quite clear,” wrote Young on his website.

While the investor-class program was scrapped last year, a similar, smaller pilot program, the Immigrant Investor Venture Capital, was announced last December.

In the old program, more than half of all investors chose B.C. as their destination in the late 2000s, with over 5,000 coming into the province annually, according to CIC. 

While there is no available regional data on where exactly the investors landed, Richmond saw 18,685 new immigrants from 2006 to 2011, according to National Household Survey data.

In Richmond, long standing complaints over lack of integration has City Hall presently undertaking a public consultation process on non-English signs throughout the community and their perceived threat to "community harmony."

According to CIC, business immigrants have accounted for seven per cent of Canada’s total immigration since 1980 and in 2010 investor-class immigrants — who, as a condition for entrance, were required to prove net worth in the millions and invest $800,000 in Canada — accounted for 88 per cent of all business immigrants. 

According to CIC, investor immigrants reported average earnings of about $18,000 in their first year and just $28,000 after 15 years. After three years, only 47 per cent of such immigrants reported any income. The Canadian average is 67 per cent.

After five years, only 39 per cent reported income, suggesting investor immigrants may leave the country (or declare non-residency) after the citizenship process is complete. 

Meanwhile, refugees (those who come to Canada under hardship) reported first-year average incomes of $20,000 and after 15 years those incomes rose to $30,000. Two-thirds of refugees reported income by their fifth year, on par with Canada’s average.

More troublesome for Young is that similar rates of income after 15 years are found with the spouses and children of the initial, principal applicant.

“It’s particularly worrisome considering that the biggest cohort (40 per cent) of dependents upon arrival is made up of children aged 10 to 19. These (children) would be 25-34 after 15 years, and should be earning good money. But they aren’t.”

As well, Young adds, “the same phenomenon of a decline in tax-reporting rates could be seen in spouses and children, suggesting some of them, too, head for the exits.”

“The issue is not with immigrants or immigration in general, it is with wealth migration schemes in particular. …Should Canada wait for the grandchildren of investor immigrants to join the workforce before seeing the supposed benefits of millionaire migration?” asked Young on his blog.

The newly released CIC data, from 2012, corroborates February 2014 statements made by J. Ian Burchett, Consul General of Canada in Hong Kong:

"Originally developed decades ago, immigrants coming through these out-dated programs are not required to demonstrate important skills, like official language ability (French or English), that are integral to Canada’s modern economic immigration programs. A recent survey concluded that immigrant investors have the lowest official language ability of any immigrant category, including refugees. That hinders their successful integration into Canadian society. Other data on immigrant investors indicate they bring limited benefits to the Canadian economy and are less likely than other immigrants to stay in Canada over the medium to long term," stated Burchett.

© 2015 Richmond News