France, US to ease visas, residency permit procedures for investors

The French government's website says that an investor must put in at least 300,000 euros ($328,000), among other criteria, to be eligible for a so-called 'passeport talent.'

Paris: France and the US eased visa and residency permit procedures for investors, the French foreign ministry said on Tuesday.

American investors and their family members now have simpler access to visas and four-year residency permits, the French ministry said in a joint statement with the US embassy. French investors in the US are now able to qualify for four-year E-1 or E-2 visas, up from a previous cap of 25 months.

According to the statement, the change is part of an effort to deepen bilateral trade relations agreed to during French President Emmanuel Macron's trip to the US last year.