Post RIA “EB-5 Has Outperformed” Greece and Caribbean Programs:  10 on The Weekend With Siren Chen

10 On The Weekend is a weekly (-ish) feature in IMI, the concept of which is simple: Each time, we ask the same ten questions of a different IMI Pro, letting readers get to know the interviewee on a more personal and informal level than they might during the ordinary course of business.

Our guest this week is Siren Chen, Group Head of Project R&D at Globevisa Group

How do you spend your weekends?

I usually spend a day exploring the mountains and hiking trails around my city. After a week of hard work, heading to the great outdoors and breathing in the fresh mountain air is a great way to unwind and relax those nerves strained from the week’s hustle. Enjoying nature is truly rejuvenating.

The next day, I usually stay home to rest, read, spend time with family, and keep company with my pets.

What are your top three business goals this year?

First, I aim to develop more high-quality projects for Globevisa’s Multi-Program Mechanism. Currently, we lack immigration programs in countries like South America and Eastern Europe. Therefore, I am deeply involved in developing these countries’ immigration programs, hoping to bring new business opportunities to Globevisa.

Second, this year has been a strong year for the EB-5 program. Our sales performance in the EB-5 program has been very robust. So, I need to bring more high-quality EB-5 projects to Globevisa.

Third, I also manage a program division inside Globevisa, that includes immigration programs like Singapore EP, US EB1A and NIW, the Turkish CIP, Vanuatu CIP, and Japan Business Manager Visa, among others. We dream of serving 1 million clients in 20 years, and I hope to lead my team in fulfilling this dream.

What’s your biggest business concern right now?

This year, we’ve observed several countries shutting down their investment immigration policies, raising the bar, or experiencing significant changes. The result is that many clients no longer meet the application criteria.

Consequently, I’m concerned that the number of investment immigration programs we offer might decrease in the future. Could we see a shift where work permits and entrepreneur visas dominate the immigration landscape?

Which book is on your nightstand right now?

Xiaomi Entrepreneurial Reflections -《小米创业思考》in Chinese. Our CEO, Henry Fan, recommended this book to me because he learned a great deal from Lei Jun, and when Henry recommends a book, you know it is a good one.

He always puts a lot of effort into our daily operations, and he seeks ways to select the best people, streamline our document processing, establish a data-driven approach to day-to-day business, strengthen our Multi-Program Mechanism, and more.  

How and when did you first get into the investment migration industry?

I joined Globevisa after completing my master’s degree in 2013. My major was International Law, which naturally piqued my interest in legal frameworks and the dynamics of international mobility.

Upon encountering Globevisa, I discovered an industry that delves into the legal policies of various countries and commodifies them, thereby facilitating free movement for many individuals.

What was your proudest moment as a service provider? 

Last week, we had the pleasure of interviewing a successful EB1A client in the United States. He is a renowned cinematographer who often works with the esteemed director Feng Xiaogang and aspires to further his career in Hollywood.

Through our services, we assisted him in obtaining a U.S. Green Card. His feedback on our service team was sincere and highly appreciative. He said:

“I evaluate the quality of service based on two main criteria: timeliness and patience. Globevisa has excelled in both.”

He detailed Globevisa’s finesse: “In terms of timeliness, Globevisa has always been responsive, even after I settled in the U.S., regardless of the time, including late at night, they reply quickly, which left a great impression.”

He also acknowledged the personalized and professional approach, stating: “I have to confess that I had many questions, some of which I asked repeatedly, and the questions were quite basic. However, the staff at Globevisa showed ample patience.”

I take pride in being part of an industry where we can help alter the course of someone’s life, enabling them to pursue their dreams without the constraints of borders.

Which investment migration market development has surprised you the most in the last year?

The US EB-5 program has seen a remarkable resurgence since we re-launched the new EB-5 policy in October 2022. In just a year, the post-RIA era of EB-5 has outperformed many of our popular programs, such as those in Greece, Singapore, and the Caribbean passport options, catapulting it into the top three programs within our company.

I was genuinely surprised because many clients who applied under the old EB-5 policy in 2015 are still in the queue. Thus, the fact that the market has regained such popularity in just one year has exceeded my expectations.

If you could go ten years back in time, what business decision would you change?

I joined Globevisa exactly ten years ago. If I had all the knowledge back then, I would put more emphasis on the globalization of Globevisa. The earlier, the better.

What investment migration industry personality do you most admire?

One of the most important qualities is getting things done, and our co-founder & CEO, Henry Fan, has this quality in abundance. He also has a gift that enables him to impart this mindset to others.

Investment immigration is an industry where policies change very quickly, and the needs of clients from different countries and cultures differ. I think this industry needs an expert who can work on his or her own on the following aspects:

• Study the immigration policy.
• Design the product.
• Complete the internal process and interface with the clients to serve the clients.

Henry Fan requires this from all of our global executives, and he guides them to become the best professionals in the industry.

If all goes according to plan, what will you be doing five years from now?

In five years, I hope Globevisa will have achieved the goal of having offices in most of the world’s major cities. This will allow me to realize the vision of working in a different city every month, experiencing different cultures in depth while I work, and truly realizing the vision of being our clients’ gateway to the world.