Wealthy mainlanders threaten to sue after Canada scraps visa scheme
Ottawa cancelled Immigrant Investor Programme that allowed 100,000 Chinese into the country
A group of wealthy mainlanders has criticised the Canadian government for scrapping its investor visa scheme and are threatening legal action if the decision is not overturned.
More than 10 people who had applied for the visa met with reporters in Beijing yesterday to air their grievances. The group said they had wasted years of time, effort and money preparing to move to North America.
Finance Minister Jim Flaherty announced last month that the Canadian government was scrapping the Immigrant Investor Programme.
The scheme has allowed nearly 100,000 wealthy Hongkongers and mainland Chinese to move across the Pacific since 1986.
The abrupt ... decision to scrap the scheme has left us very, very disappointed
An estimated 45,500 Chinese millionaires who were still in the queue for visas will have their applications "eliminated" and their fees returned.
Rong Bing, a 47-year-old businessman, said he first applied to move to Canada through the investor visa scheme in 2009.