Reuters has reported that the graft crackdown in China is driving wealthy Chinese out of China. “President Xi Jinping's 18-month-old drive against the pervasive graft that he says threatens the Communist Party's survival, is a fear that is even causing some officials to take their own lives,” according to the report.

Ordinary Chinese citizens can legally transfer only $50,000 overseas each year, but vast sums leak out of China using a variety of loopholes, such as funnelling money through the Chinese territory of Hong Kong, according to Reuters.

"The restrictions in China are becoming more onerous…That's triggered an increase in the amount of money that's looking to move out of China or probably is already outside of China and is looking to be spent” notes the report.

Where is the money going? The United States is the main target destination. However due to the surge in applications for the US investor visa known as the EB-5, the program has reached its yearly quota of 10,000 for the first time in its 24- year history with wait times for future applicants expected to stretch out to as long as five years or more, according to The Wall Street Journal.

Canada, which had granted visas to those who lent 800,000 Canadian dollars (US$734,245) interest-free to one of the country’s provincial governments, canned the program earlier this year but is however looking to replace it. There will be no surprise if one similar to Australia’s $5million SIV program is launched.

As such, Australia, Europe and the Caribbean are emerging as alternative destinations for China’s rich. At the end of July,  88% of the 343 such visas granted under Australia’s SIV program were to mainland Chinese, representing over A$1.7 billion worth of committed investments.

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"I received a call from my local MP today about my complaint to him about the “secret list”.

An unregistered migration agent has been convicted and sentenced for migration fraud offences in the Magistrates Court of Victoria, according to the office of the Assistant Minister for Immigration and Border Protection, Senator the Hon Michaelia Cash.

The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the Department of Immigration and Border Protection (DIBP) into unlawful migration assistance to visa applicants, according to a statement from the Minister’s office.

Maria Nani was found guilty of providing false documentation to visa applicants in return for money. The former migration agent continued to provide unlawful assistance to visa applicants after her registration was cancelled by the Office of Migration Agents Registration Authority, who had determined that she was not a fit and proper person to give migration assistance. Nani was found guilty of having assisted non-genuine applications for skilled and family visas.

At the court hearing earlier this month, Nani lodged a plea of guilty and was convicted. She was sentenced to a community corrections order of 300 hours' community service over 18 months across all charges, fined $10 000 and ordered to pay $113.90 costs and $4075 in repatriation orders.

According to a report in the Herald Sun, Magistrate Peter Mealy said,”She was dealing with vulnerable people she chose to exact from them moneys she knew she was not entitled to… She chose to enrich herself at their cost."

Prosecutor Raphael de Vietri said Nani duped 17 visa hopefuls in believing she could help them secure residency. She charged almost $30,000 and had received payment of more than $11,000 before her arrest.

Written by:

JUSTIN RICKARD B.A LL.B M.A (Syd.) M.M.I.A

Australian lawyer* # 11272 (N.S.W) & Registered Migration Agent # 9790625