'Rational' applicants unaffected by immigration changes

Li, a Beijing businesswoman, is a bit frustrated. She wants to immigrate to Canada. She submitted her application two years ago.

The Canadian government announced last week it plans to scrap its Immigrant Investor Program (IIP) and Entrepreneur Program, affecting an estimated 65,000 applicants. Li is one of them.

"The news was a blow," she said. She wants to immigrate as it will be more convenient for her trade business and for her child's education.

"This does not change my decision. Canada remains my top choice. The United States and Australia are also good options," said Li.

Under the IIP, it requires payment of an interest-free loan of 800,000 Canadian dollars to the government. Applicants must also have minimum assets worth 1.6 million Canadian dollars.

Tightening immigration criteria has been carried out by popular destination countries.

For example, the New Zealand government announced in December it was seeking to attract more foreign entrepreneurs with a new business visa policy to encourage immigrants to set up "high-quality" companies.

The entrepreneur work visa will operate under a new points-based system.

Rapid economic growth over the past decades has created tens of thousands of millionaires in China. Overseas immigration to countries like Canada and the U.S. is increasingly popular among the rich.

Jiang, a native to Nanjing City of east China's Jiangsu Province, received a "maple leaf card", which represents Canadian permanent residence, in 2013.

"I decided to immigrate for my son who is in secondary school. I will bring him to Canada in three years for his high school education," Jiang said.

Zhao, a 32-year-old mother who lives in north China's Tianjin City, said she will immigrate abroad for her son's education. She is a human resource manager in a private company, but has never been abroad herself.

"My son is six years old now and will go to school soon. But the domestic education environment gives me a headache," she said.

Wang Jin, general manager of Oxbridge Immigration Company (Tianjin), said there are clients who do not meet the conditions to immigrate.

"Some clients have told me they will sell their home in China and live off government benefits abroad. I think these immigrants should be stopped because foreign countries are not paradise and it would be hard for them to survive," Wang said.

According to Wang, most Chinese immigrants are rational. They know which country they want to go to and plan accordingly.

Wang told Xinhua that smoggy weather made many Chinese nationals born after 1980 want to immigrate.

"Education, business and the environment are the top three reasons for Chinese wanting to immigrate," Wang said.

Guan Xinping, director of the department of social work and social policy at Nankai University in Tianjin, said it is easier for people to go abroad nowadays.

According to Guan, many Chinese people have enough wealth or other qualifications to meet the needs of developed countries.

Rational people who really plan to immigrate abroad will not be stopped by the tightening of policies, according to Guan.