Realtors tout buying overseas property as road to green card

An increasing number of companies are trying to entice well-heeled Beijingers who want to live overseas with the idea of gaining permanent residency in foreign countries by buying expensive property there.

Dozens of realtors selling foreign homes at the recent Beijing Spring Real Estate Trade Fair offered customers the prospect of permanent residency in the United States, Canada, Australia, Singapore or Thailand.

One of these property companies, Big Elk Resort, said it will help investors who buy $500,000 condominiums near a US national park get a US green card, according to the Beijing-based Mirror Evening News.