Canada has put out the welcome mat for Israeli entrepreneurs with $500,000 in capital by offering them accelerated citizenship, according to an attorney authorized to oversee the process.

Since the offer was first published in the Hebrew press two weeks ago, hundreds of calls have flooded his law office, said attorney Avichai Bartnovski. He said said only about 15 of the callers are serious about taking advantage of the offer, since after a citizenship request is approved candidates must move to Canada. It is only a coincidence the Canadian offer coincides with the recent wave of violence, he added.

Under ordinary circumstances, when an Israeli files a citizenship application at the Canadian Embassy, it takes up to three years to process, Bartnovski said. Once approved, it takes another three years for it to be finalized, he added.

Canada is offering Israeli businessmen citizenship in almost half the time - an initial three-to-six month approval period, followed by the standard three-year wait, Bartnovski said.

Businessmen who meet the criteria for the accelerated process - $500,000 in capital and a proven entrepreneurial track record - get an automatic 35 out of the 70 points necessary to receive Canadian citizenship, Bartnovski said. "It isn't difficult to get the rest of the points," he added.

Bartnovski said he is working on the Canadian citizenship applications with a colleague, David Zaltzman.

Canada, which has decided to open its borders to entrepreneurs to expand the nation's business connections, already offers accelerated citizenship to businessmen from Hong Kong and China.