- EB-5 needs $800,000 in a targeted employment area and creation of at least ten US jobs; the visa category largely decides the timeline.
- Quebec's program requires CAD 2M net worth, a CAD 1.2M investment, a CAD 200K non-refundable contribution, management experience and French. Canada's federal Start-Up Visa is paused.
- New Zealand's Growth category requires NZD 5M held 36 months, with settings relaxed in 2025 and 2026.
- Mauritius ties residence to ongoing property ownership; Egypt reviews each case; São Tomé and Príncipe is the newest citizenship program we track.
- Non-financial requirements often decide eligibility more than money does.
The rest of the map is where the most demanding programs sit alongside the newest. The United States and Quebec ask for job creation, net-worth tests and, in Quebec's case, French; New Zealand asks for a large, active investment held for years; Mauritius and Egypt sell real-estate-backed residence; São Tomé and Príncipe is the newest citizenship program we track. Each answers a different question, and none is a casual purchase.
The six programs in one table
| Program | Mechanism | Indicative minimum | Outcome | What to know first |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States: EB-5 | Investment creating or preserving at least 10 full-time US jobs | $800,000 in a targeted employment area ($1,050,000 elsewhere) | Conditional permanent residence | Processing time depends heavily on the visa category |
| Canada: Quebec Immigrant Investor | CAD 1.2M investment plus CAD 200K non-refundable contribution | CAD 2M net worth required | Permanent residence (Quebec selection) | Management experience and French required |
| New Zealand: Active Investor Plus (Growth) | Direct investment in NZ businesses or managed funds, held 36 months | NZD 5,000,000 (about $3M) | Permanent residence path | Minimal required presence; settings relaxed in 2025 and 2026 |
| Mauritius: Permanent Residence Permit | Residential property in an EDB-approved scheme | $375,000 | Residence valid while the property is held | Our first African page; scheme-specific property only |
| Egypt: Residency by Investment | Real estate or bank deposit | $100,000 | One-year renewable permit (longer at higher amounts) | Reviewed case by case; not automatic |
| São Tomé and Príncipe | One-time contribution to the National Transformation Fund | $90,000 | Citizenship | First passports January 2026; short track record |
United States: EB-5
The EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program is administered by US Citizenship and Immigration Services and grants conditional permanent residence to investors whose capital creates or preserves at least ten full-time jobs for US workers. The tracked route is the Targeted Employment Area (TEA) investment of $800,000, in a rural area or a region with unemployment at least 150% of the national average; outside a TEA the figure is $1,050,000. The capital must be genuinely at risk in a commercial enterprise, not parked. The 2022 EB-5 Reform and Integrity Act reserved 32% of visas for rural areas, high-unemployment areas and infrastructure projects, categories that now process markedly faster than the unreserved pool, so which category a project falls in largely decides the timeline. EB-5 suits investors for whom United States residence is the actual goal and who can accept that a project's job creation, not the investor, drives the outcome.
Quebec: a net-worth, experience and language program
The Quebec Immigrant Investor Program reopened on 1 January 2024 after a suspension of more than four years, and it is Canada's current active investment-migration route. The federal Start-Up Visa has been paused to new applicants since 1 January 2026. Under the Canada-Quebec Accord, Quebec selects its own economic immigrants. The principal applicant must show a net worth of at least CAD 2,000,000, invest at least CAD 1,200,000 through a Quebec financial intermediary, pay a non-refundable CAD 200,000 contribution, hold management experience for at least two of the last five years, and demonstrate oral French at Quebec level 7. The language requirement alone makes this a program for people who plan to live and work in French. Selection by Quebec is followed by federal permanent-residence processing.
New Zealand: large, active, and patient
The Active Investor Plus visa, under the Immigration Act 2009 and run by Immigration New Zealand, has two categories. The tracked Growth category requires NZD 5 million invested directly in New Zealand businesses or managed funds, held for at least 36 months, with up to 20% allocable to approved philanthropic contributions from 1 June 2026. The government has relaxed several settings in 2025 and again from August 2026 to attract capital: Immigration New Zealand reported 837 applications between 1 April 2025 and 23 July 2026, adding roughly NZD 4.8 billion to the pipeline. The investment is active and must meet the agency's definition of an acceptable investment, and good-character and source-of-funds checks apply. It suits experienced investors who want a stable Pacific base with minimal required presence and who are comfortable locking capital for three years.
Mauritius, Egypt and São Tomé: three different bets
Mauritius grants residence to buyers of residential property under government-approved schemes, with every acquisition authorised by the Economic Development Board. The qualifying schemes include the Property Development Scheme, Smart City developments and a qualifying G+2 apartment, at a uniform $375,000 threshold, and the permit remains valid for as long as the investor retains ownership. It is tied directly to the property rather than to a fixed holding period, which makes the exit decision also a residence decision.
Egypt grants residence under its Investment Law for the term of an investment project, and a March 2023 decree extended the route to real estate and bank deposits. A $100,000 investment gives an initial one-year renewable permit, with three to five years available at higher amounts. Property supports an application but does not guarantee approval: each case is reviewed against the rules in force at filing.
São Tomé and Príncipe introduced citizenship by investment through Decree-Law 07/2025, began accepting applications in September 2025 and issued its first passports in January 2026. A one-time $90,000 contribution to the National Transformation Fund funds green energy, infrastructure, healthcare, housing and sustainable tourism. As the newest program we track, it combines a low price with the usual caveats about an unproven track record and, as discussed in program risk, the scrutiny that low-cost citizenship programs tend to attract.
How to choose
- Match the program to the goal. EB-5 and Quebec are routes to live in specific, demanding places; New Zealand is a patient capital placement; Mauritius and Egypt are property-linked residence; São Tomé is a low-cost citizenship with a short history.
- Read the non-financial requirements. Job creation, management experience, French and good-character tests can decide eligibility more than money does.
- Check processing realities. EB-5 timelines vary by category; Quebec involves provincial and federal stages; New Zealand has relaxed rules recently.
- Treat new programs with care. Newness is a risk factor in its own right. See Program Watch.
- Price the whole bill using the true-cost framework, including non-refundable contributions and fees.
See all six on the Atlas, or ask us for a shortlist scoped to your situation.
This guide is general information, not legal, tax or immigration advice, and programme rules change, sometimes at short notice. Confirm current terms with Indohill and your own qualified advisers before acting. See our Disclosures.