A qualifying
family relationship.
Eligible relationships with US citizens or permanent residents can support certain family-based categories. The relationship, category and visa availability determine what is possible.
US permanent residency · Canadian investors
US Green Card for Canadians:
Plan Your Next Chapter
Make the United States part of your family’s future. Explore how an EB-5 investment could support your permanent-residency plans, with an experienced team helping you examine the investment before you commit.
Free initial consultation · Enquiries reviewed by our Canadian team
Beyond another visit
A place to build a life.
A plan to get you there.
You may already spend winters in the US, own a home there or see new opportunities for your children. A green card changes the possibilities: it gives you lawful permanent-resident status, with the ability to make your home and work in the United States.
Canadian citizenship alone does not confer US permanent residence. You need to qualify through an eligible immigration category. For Canadians with substantial investment capital, EB-5 is one pathway worth examining.
What a green card means
- Lawful permanent residence in the United States
- The ability to live and work in the US, subject to applicable law
- Residency and tax responsibilities to plan for
- A separate status from US citizenship
Keep your Canadian citizenship while exploring a different place to call home. Any later US citizenship application has its own requirements.
Choose the right category
How can a Canadian
get a US green card?
The right route follows your circumstances. Your immigration attorney should assess eligibility before you build your plans around a particular programme.
A qualifying
Your career
or qualifications.
Employment-based categories may involve employer sponsorship or, for some applicants, qualifications that support a different petition route. These are legal eligibility questions for counsel.
Qualifying capital.
Qualifying job creation.
EB-5 is a permanent-residence pathway based on a qualifying investment and US job creation. It may suit investors whose plans do not depend on employer sponsorship or a qualifying US family relationship.
Explore EB-5 requirementsThese are common pathways, not an exhaustive list. New World Ventures focuses on investment guidance; licensed immigration counsel advises on the appropriate legal route.
When EB-5 belongs in the conversation
You have capital.
Make room for a bigger future.
EB-5 can be attractive to Canadians planning a move for their family, career flexibility or a lasting connection with the US. A regional-centre investment can also suit investors who want to evaluate a professionally managed project rather than establish their own operating business.
The opportunity deserves careful scrutiny. Your investment must meet the programme’s requirements and remain at risk. Neither immigration approval nor repayment is guaranteed.
Investment readiness
Plan for the required investment, project charges, legal costs and government filing fees. Build a budget in US dollars and account for currency conversion.
Family eligibility
A qualifying investor’s spouse and unmarried children under 21 may also qualify. A child approaching 21 needs early advice on eligibility and any applicable age protection.
Evidence and due diligence
Prepare a traceable source and path of funds. Examine the project’s business plan, job-creation assumptions, repayment terms and risk disclosures.
Permanent residence or temporary status?
A US work or investor visa
is a different decision.
Many Canadians start their research with TN professional status or an E-2 treaty-investor visa. These are nonimmigrant categories for eligible applicants. They do not automatically provide a green card.
| Option | What it addresses | Permanent residency? |
|---|---|---|
| TN professional status | Temporary work in an eligible profession under the USMCA rules. | Temporary status; a green card requires a separate eligible route. |
| E-2 treaty investor | A qualifying treaty investor’s activities in an eligible US enterprise. | Nonimmigrant status; it does not itself grant permanent residence. |
| EB-5 immigrant investor | A qualifying investment and required US job creation. | An immigrant pathway; successful applicants begin with conditional permanent residence. |
If you already have temporary status, discuss any permanent-residence plan with your attorney before filing, travelling or changing your activities. Eligibility, intent and timing need to be assessed together.
A Canadian plan, a US future
Look beyond
the application itself.
A successful move has more than one timeline. Immigration, investments, family commitments and tax planning need to work together.
Keep the citizenship question separate
A US green card does not require giving up your Canadian citizenship. Canada permits multiple citizenships. US naturalization is a later application, not an automatic result of investment.
Plan your time in both countries
Permanent residence requires a real plan for living in the US. Extended absences can create problems. Seasonal visits and home ownership do not settle the residency question.
Understand your cross-border tax position
US tax residents generally report worldwide income. Canadian residency ties and potential departure tax also need review. Coordinate advice before moving assets or changing residence.
Bring these questions to your first conversation
- Who is included in your family’s relocation plan?
- When would you ideally make the US your home?
- What investment capital can you commit without compromising your other plans?
- How long could that capital remain illiquid?
- Do you already have immigration and cross-border tax advisers?
- Were you or family members born outside Canada?
Bring your goals and questions. You do not need to send financial statements or identity documents with your initial enquiry.
Matthew Khalili · Founder & Investment Strategist
Experience you can examine
Put useful questions
ahead of a sales pitch.
Matthew Khalili brings EB-5 business-plan and expert-witness experience to the investment conversation. As a registered representative of GT Securities, Inc., he works within a broker-dealer framework.
Paul Aleo leads the Canadian-market connection. Together, the team helps you clarify your priorities and examine the investment side alongside your immigration attorney and cross-border tax advisers.
EB-5 business-plan expert witnessMatthew Khalili
2025 Top 10 Business Plan WritersEB5 Investors Magazine
Recognition relates to Matthew’s work with The Plan Writers. Registration and recognition do not guarantee investment or immigration outcomes.
US green card questions from Canadians
Make your next step an informed one.
Can Canadian citizens apply for a US green card?
Yes, if they qualify through an eligible US immigration category. Canadian citizenship does not itself grant permanent residence. Family, employment and investment routes have different requirements.
Does buying a home in the US give me a green card?
Owning a US home does not by itself confer immigration status. EB-5 requires a qualifying business investment and job creation. Buying a home for your personal use is not the same as making an eligible EB-5 investment.
Can my spouse and children be included through EB-5?
A qualifying investor’s spouse and unmarried children under 21 may also qualify. Counsel should assess each family member’s circumstances, particularly children approaching 21.
Do I need to give up my Canadian passport?
Getting a US green card does not require renouncing Canadian citizenship. Permanent residence is different from citizenship. Canada permits multiple citizenships, and any later US naturalization requires a separate eligibility assessment.
Can I keep living mainly in Canada with a green card?
A green card is for permanent residence in the US. Extended absences and a pattern of living elsewhere may raise questions about abandonment. Discuss your actual travel and residence plans with immigration counsel before relying on a green card for a snowbird lifestyle.
How long does a US green card take for a Canadian?
There is no single timeline. The category, visa availability, evidence, government processing and your circumstances all matter. A current category does not mean instant approval, and chargeability generally follows country of birth rather than citizenship.
Sources and further reading: US government: green card pathways · USCIS: EB-5 · TN professional status · Treaty-investor rules · Canadian citizenship · US resident taxation
Your next chapter
See where your plans
could take you.
Tell us what matters to your family. We’ll help you understand whether an EB-5 investment belongs in your US permanent-residency strategy.