French “angel investor visa 300,000€” could be serious contender to Southern Europe’s golden visas

Angel investor visa, france,

RBI, residence by investment, tech visa

A EUR 300,000 passive investment in a French startup will get applicants and their families a 4-year visa that can be renewed as long the investment is maintained. After five years of continuous residence in France – or, indeed, in any EU country, as per EU rules – applicants are eligible for permanent residence. A year after obtaining permanent residence, applicants may apply for citizenship, provided they have obtained proficiency in the French language over the preceding 5-6 year period.

What is the French Tech Visa?

France recently launched a series of immigration initiatives designed to attract skilled professionals and entrepreneurs, collectively dubbed the French Tech Visa or, alternatively, the Talent Passport. What’s interesting to those of us working in the investment migration industry is the subcategory called “Business Investor”. To qualify, applicants must meet the following criteria:

Invest at least €300,000 in fixed tangible or intangible assets.
Invest either directly or via a company in which they have at least a 30% shareholding.
Own at least 10% of the company in which they are investing.
Create or protect (or commit to create or protect) jobs within the four years following the investment.

The spouse and dependents of the investor may also be included in the application and may take up employment in France.

Who is it for?

To be sure, this program will not suit investors who don’t intend to physically reside in France, but the investment can be completely passive and there’s a decent chance of serious returns. Of course, we’re talking about high-risk venture capital/angel funding of startups here, so there’s also a chance you’ll never see those EUR 300,000 again but, who’s to say your money isn’t equally at risk in UK or Portuguese property or Cypriot bonds?

Here’s a hypothetical scenario:

A Chinese family wants to immigrate to France. Let’s say the father is the main breadwinner and wants to stay in China to tend to his business. The wife invests, on behalf of the family, EUR 300,000 in a French tech-startup. She doesn’t have any experience running a company, nor does she know anything about robotics or fintech, but that doesn’t matter because the investment is completely passive. She enrolls her children in a French school (at local rates) and rents an apartment in Paris. After four years, she either maintains her investment in the same company (which, by now, is either profitable, struggling or throwing in the towel) or shifts her investment to another company. Simultaneously, the family files for an extension of the visa of between one and four years.

After year five, the family members who have resided in France are all eligible for permanent residence. At this point, they may divest from the tech-startup if they wish. They may also choose to stay in France, but will not lose their PR status if they don’t.

Where to invest?

The Macron government is currently developing a list of designated companies into which applicants may invest in order to qualify. In the meantime, prospective applicants may avail themselves of the services of a business immigration specialist to determine if a company in which they would like to invest would qualify.

How does the program compare to Europe’s golden visas?

France is a more attractive lifestyle destination than many of its Southern European counterparts but generally has a higher tax burden. The minimum investment requirement is similar to the Golden visas, but the risk/return potential is higher. Processing times are comparable, as is the path to naturalization. The French program compares favorably to the Malta RVP insofar as the investment requirement does not rise with the inclusion of additional dependents.

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FRENCH TALENT PASSPORT

Advantages

• 4 years renewable Residency Card

• Dependents: spouse & children under 18 are included

• Right to work in France

• No English Language proficiency necessary

• Right to travel in and out of France for 4 years

• Free mobility within Schengen States (26 countries) for a period of 6 months / year

• Free mobility to French overseas territories

• Right to seek Permanent Resident and/ or Citizenship after 5 years

• Free access to Public Education & Healthcare System

• Fast track processing time

Requirements

• Solid Business Plan/ Market Analysis

• Limited source of funds requirements

• Incorporate a legal entity or take over an existing company

• Hold a minimum of 10% interest in such company

• Residency requirements: on a case by case basis

• Main applicant: shall be aged 18

• No criminal record

Investment

• Commitment to invest EUR 300,000 in the intended project

• Commitment to create / maintain jobs for local workforce within 4 years

• Complying with commitments set in the approved Business Plan

Process

• Application to the competent French Embassy /Consulate General

• Processing time: 45 days

• Upon application’s approval, applicant & dependents are granted with a 3-month long stay visa

• Applicant & dependents shall enter France within such period

• Competent Prefecture issues the Passport Talent within the month of entry

• Passport Talent is granted for a duration of 4 years

* * * * * *

FRANCE SERVICES

angel investor visa, france,

RBI, residence by investment, tech visa

Residents in France (origine Asia-pacific and African Nationals) :

Compliance Services (France)
We provide support to help Asia-pacific and African national workers on assignment to comply with immigration requirements in France. In addition to preparing and filing the necessary declarations with the relevant authorities, we review the assignments thoroughly to help our clients to maximize their compliance with French labor laws governing seconded workers.

Changes and Obligations for the Employer (France)
We guide employers on their administrative duty and duty of care. These include the maintenance of expatriate records; processes to renew status for their foreign nationals; and duty to inform the French immigration authorities of any company, employment or personal changes that are relevant to the immigration benefits of their foreign nationals.

Consular Services

(France : Attention : reserved only for French Resident card holder)
In conjunction with our Advocate-Advisors, we provide consular support at diplomatic missions in France, working both with French authorities and foreign missions based in France.

European Law (France)
We provide our clients with guidance and support in relation to European immigration laws (e.g., Schengen Agreement and Vander Elst provisions) and their implementation in France.

French Immigration and Compliance Review
citinavi global can provide strategic, concise and tailored guidance and training to help you understand immigration requirements and introduce effective internal policies and processes. We can help you benchmark your processes against others and identify areas where you risk noncompliance with immigration requirements. We can also help you to proactively prepare for potential government inspections or audits.

Government Strategies (France)
Our France Immigration Team works in concert with French immigration authorities, including the Directions Régionales des Entreprises, de la Concurrence, de la Consommation, du Travail et de l'Emploi (Direccte), L’Office Français de L’Immigration et de l’integration (OFII) , the Préfectures throughout France as well as French consulates abroad.
This allows us to keep a close eye on changes in immigration requirements as they unfold, quickly communicate proposed legislative and procedural changes to our clients, and help them adapt their immigration programs and strategies as needed.

Immigration Services for Spouses and Dependents (France)
We provide full support to dependents in relation to immigration processes in France.
Specifically, we guide assignees on the optimum immigration strategies for accompanying dependents, partnering closely with them and their dependents to prepare all required documentation for timely application processing in France, and to help them maintain compliance with immigration process requirements in France for the duration of their stay. In addition, we assist with renewals and/or changes to dependent immigration status, and follow up with authorities on a regular basis through the application process.

Registration at Local Prefecture and Accompaniment to Authorities (France)
Our partnership with our Advocate - Advisors in France allows us to accompany foreign nationals when applying for the residence permit at the local préfecture in Paris and elsewhere throughout France.

Residence and Work Permit Applications (France)
We help companies to assess the appropriate work authorization procedure based on the circumstances of their intended stay in France. Where work and residence permits are both required, we offer a streamlined service to complete formalities in a smooth and efficient manner. We also provide guidance related to business or other immigration visa applications and communicate with the relevant consulates when necessary.

Residency and Citizenship (France)
We offer full consultative and case preparation support for applications for long term residency (carte de résident) and French citizenship.

Work and Residence Renewals (France)
We provide complete assistance with applications for renewal of work permits and residence permits.

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