Gary Dong
by EB5 Investors Magazine Staff
The EB-5 program’s popularity has exploded in China in recent years, and it continues
to be one of the easier options for potential
Chinese immigrants. Meanwhile, developers
and regional centers in the United States
constantly seek strategies to market their
projects to Chinese investors. Migration
agents play an important role in the process
of raising EB-5 funds in China. EB5 Investors
Magazine is proud to interview Gary Dong,
CEO of Wonderful (Shenzhen) International
Economy and Culture Exchange Ltd.
With more than 15 years of experiences in providing
immigration and overseas education services, Dong also
serves as the Vice Chairman in Guangdong Entry &
Exit Immigration Association, where he coordinates with
different parties to protect the long-term development of
the immigration industry in Guangdong. In this exclusive
interview, Dong shares his stories of starting his business as
well as his project selection criteria.
EB5 Investors Magazine: Please introduce
your professional background and Wonderful
International’s businesses scope. First of all, how
did you get into the immigration industry?
Gary Dong: After earning my bachelor’s degree in
tourism studies, I started working for a travel agency in
Shenzhen. In 1993, I moved to Hong Kong to work on
managing high-end business trips for Chinese people. That
was when I began familiarizing myself with immigration
and overseas education fields. China’s immigration industry
was very fragile in the early 1990s, so the people interested
in immigrating were more comfortable hiring immigration
agencies in Hong Kong. I was assigned to operate a new
travel agency in Hong Kong back then. Meanwhile, I also
helped many potential migrants get in touch with quality
agents. At that time, Canada’s skilled worker immigration
program was the most popular option and the denial rate
for the EB-5 program was much higher than it is now. In
1997 I realized that there is a great market for immigration.
I decided to quit my job, move back to Shenzhen and start
my own company—Wonderful International. Since then, I
have been deeply involved in this industry. Our headquar-
ters are in Shenzhen, but we also have a branch company
in Shanxi City and are considering opening new offices in
other provinces/cities.
Immigration consulting services would never be our
only product. For most of our clients, education for their
children is always the biggest concern. That is one of the
reasons for us to maintain the overseas study consulting
service. Besides, we also provide training services and
plan on establishing an international school in Shenzhen.
From the company’s perspective, operation in multiple
lines improves our ability to adjust to risks. After all,
the immigration industry is vulnerable to economic and
political changes.
As an immigration company, immigration will always
be our biggest focus. We serve more than 100 customers
for immigration every year. We also help people immigrate to Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Europe and
Central America.
EB5 Investors Magazine: Why did you
set the branch office in Shanxi?
Gary Dong: The main reason is that I am from Shanxi.
About two years ago, I realized that more and more Shanxi
residents are paying attention to immigration, and some
have already got started with the immigration process.
Moreover, Shanxi has been plagued by corruption in recent
years, so we think more and more Shanxi residents would
be interested in immigration.
EB5 Investors Magazine: From your research,
people from which provinces/cities in China
have the strongest interest in im