ABSTRACT
The primary means of attracting Hong Kong investments to Canada was to attract the investors themselves via the lure of Canadian citizenship. Since many Hong Kong residents were hoping to establish citizenship in another country prior to the changeover to Chinese Communist control in 1997, the opportunity to qualify in the Canadian business immigration program and avoid lengthy delays in processing was highly desirable. The business immigration program was established in 1978 but was invigorated substantially in 1984, the year that the Basic Law treaty was signed in Hong Kong. The investor category, which was added in 1986, was the most important draw for Hong Kong immigrants to Canada in the late 1980s. The investor category required a significant investment in a Canadian enterprise and a personal net worth of at least $500,000 Canadian.10
