Lin Riyong is enjoying life in Charlottetown. (CBC)

A man who came to P.E.I. from China under the Provincial Nominee Program says he has invested in an Island company, but knows nothing about it.

Lin Riyong, his wife and daughter arrived in Charlottetown just a month ago. The main attraction for Canada was that they wanted to have more children, which they could not do under China's one-child policy.

Lin, a vice-president of a securities firm in China, arrived in Canada with considerable financial resources. He first read about the provincial nominee program on the internet. He put up $150,000 with the expectation that some of it would be returned: a $20,000 deposit for learning English, and another $25,000 for staying on the Island for a year. Some of the rest of it went to an agent to arrange an investment in a P.E.I. company.

The Provincial Nominee Program, which closed Sep. 2 after operating for almost eight years, fell into controversy over the last week. Questions have been raised over the quality of the companies invested in, and the involvement of companies owned by government MLAs in the program.

The government has defended the PNP, saying the investments were transactions between individuals and private companies. The only government involvement was approving a list of eligible investors and eligible companies.

Program is fair, says Lin

Lin said he doesn't know anything about the company in which he has invested and said he is not allowed to ask. He said the $150,000 is a lot of money, but it's worth it.

"I don't think it is unfair," he told CBC News on Thursday.

"We were told if we come here we can get back the language deposit and the good faith deposit. We just only want to be treated as the paper with signature."

Lin said they are happy on the Island so far. Lin and his wife are studying English full time. They've already bought a car and will move into a new house next week. He intends to keep his job in China and travel back and forth as needed.

The couple said they like the pace of life on P.E.I. and the friendly people, and intend to raise their family here.