Mercan Group
Variant V3 · Investment + Immigration · 50/50 · Compare to production /
Since 1989

Mercan Group

InvestmentImmigrationHospitalityRecruitment

37+ years setting the standard. One firm, four disciplines, across 13 offices and 4 continents.

Or call 514-282-9214

EUR 2B+
Deployed in real assets
54,000+
Families served
13
Offices · 4 continents
  • CMVM Fund #2331
    Portugal regulated
  • ICCRC-Regulated
    Canadian consultants
  • Government Partnership
    Panama QIP · 2024
  • Est. 1989
    37 years operating
02Why Mercan

One firm for both routes.

Whether you bring capital or qualifications, the same group sees you through. RCIC-licensed advisors in Canada and US, regulated investment funds in Europe, hotel development in-house.

Regulated, on both sides

Investment funds are CMVM-supervised in Portugal and government-approved in Panama. Immigration files are handled by Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultants (RCIC) and US-licensed immigration counsel.

Vertically integrated

Mercan Properties develops and operates the hotels that the investment files are tied to. Mercan Recruit places the workforce. Mercan Heritage handles citizenship-by-descent. One group, four disciplines.

Local presence in 13 cities

From Montreal headquarters to Lisbon, Athens, Panama City, Dubai, Manila, Ho Chi Minh, Dhaka, and Phnom Penh. Senior practitioners on the ground in your timezone, not a forwarding address.

03Real Assets

The portfolio behind the investment route.

Each Golden Visa or QIP file lands in an operating hotel that Mercan Properties has built. EUR 2.1B+ deployed across 26 properties.

04By the numbers

The track record.

37+
Years operating
4,100+
Investor families
50,000+
Immigrants placed
20,000+
Workers recruited

Operated under international brand partnerships

Marriott InternationalHiltonIHG Hotels & ResortsHard Rock HotelsAccorWyndham Hotels
06FAQ

What most investors ask first

Straight answers to the objection-handling questions that come up on every discovery call.

  • How long does a golden visa take to process?
    Processing times depend on the country and program. Panama's Qualified Investor Program issues residency in approximately 30 days. Greece's Golden Visa typically takes 6–8 months. Portugal's Golden Visa currently runs 18–24 months end-to-end. We manage the file from initial eligibility check through biometrics and card issuance.
  • Is the Portugal €500K fund investment refundable?
    The fund is redeemable at the end of its regulated lifecycle (typically 6–10 years depending on the vehicle), not on demand. Capital is exposed to the fund's underlying asset performance — it is a real investment, not a deposit. All funds we advise on are CMVM-regulated; we only place clients into vehicles we've personally diligenced.
  • Do I need to live in Portugal, Greece, or Panama to keep the visa?
    Minimum-stay requirements are far lighter than most clients expect. Portugal requires only 7 days per year (14 days every 2 years). Greece has no minimum-stay requirement. Panama also has no minimum-stay requirement once residency is issued. This is a deliberate feature of these programs — they're designed for investors who need optionality, not relocation.
  • Are my spouse and children included in the application?
    Yes. All programs we advise on allow dependent family members to obtain residency through the same application. Portugal includes spouse, children (dependent at any age if in full-time study), and parents. Greece and Panama include spouse and dependent children. Family members gain the same rights of travel, residency, and eventual citizenship eligibility as the primary applicant.
  • What happens to my residency if the fund underperforms?
    Residency status is tied to the investment being held for the required period (typically 5 years), not to its market performance. If the fund's NAV declines, your residency is unaffected. If the fund is liquidated before the holding period ends, you must redeploy capital into another qualifying investment to maintain the visa. We model this risk up front.
  • When can I apply for citizenship?
    Portugal and Panama both offer a 5-year path to citizenship. Greece is 7 years. Each country has its own language, residency-continuity, and clean-record requirements — Portugal's A2 Portuguese test and a basic clean-record are the usual hurdles. We provide a full citizenship-readiness review before you submit the naturalization file.

Begin with a private briefing.

Whether it's a Golden Visa, an EB-3 case, a Bill C-3 heritage file, or a workforce mandate — every inquiry is reviewed by a senior advisor and a specialist will reach out personally.

The Mercan dispatch.

Quarterly briefings on programme changes, new hotel openings, and visa-related news. No spam; unsubscribe anytime.