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The Trump Gold Card uses a USD 1 million government gift for an expedited US Green Card route. Check the family cost, tax rules and EB-5 differences.
The Trump Gold Card is open for applications. That settles one question left over from its early announcements, but it raises several more. The advertised USD 1 million figure isn't an investment, family members aren't included in that amount, and approval still depends on US immigration law.
For a single applicant, the initial government cost is USD 1,015,000 before visa-related charges. The first USD 15,000 is a nonrefundable Department of Homeland Security processing fee. After vetting, an approved applicant makes an unrestricted USD 1 million gift to the US government.
The result can be lawful permanent resident status under EB-1 or EB-2. In ordinary language, that means a Green Card rather than a temporary visitor visa. It also brings the residence obligations and worldwide tax exposure attached to US permanent residence.
At Become Global Citizen, we don't treat the Gold Card as a faster version of every investor visa. It solves one narrow problem: obtaining US permanent residence without putting capital into a job-creating EB-5 project. The price for that simplicity is permanent loss of the contribution.
The programme was established by Executive Order 14351 on 19 September 2025. The order directed the Departments of Commerce, State and Homeland Security to create an expedited process for applicants who make a substantial financial gift to the United States.
The Gold Card doesn't create a separate immigrant visa category. Instead, the government may treat the gift as evidence supporting eligibility under an existing EB-1 or EB-2 classification, including an EB-2 national-interest waiver where appropriate. DHS and the Department of State still decide the legal classification in each case.
That distinction matters. Payment alone doesn't guarantee residence. An applicant must be admissible to the United States, clear security screening and have an immigrant visa number available. The official guidance notes that applicants from a small number of countries may face a wait of a year or longer because of visa availability.
A successful applicant becomes a lawful permanent resident. The holder may live and work across the United States, subject to the same immigration rules that apply to other Green Card holders.
The headline amount leaves out both the processing fee and the cost of accompanying relatives.
| Applicant | DHS processing fee | Government gift | Initial total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Principal applicant | USD 15,000 | USD 1,000,000 | USD 1,015,000 |
| Spouse | USD 15,000 | USD 1,000,000 | USD 1,015,000 |
| Each unmarried child under 21 | USD 15,000 | USD 1,000,000 | USD 1,015,000 |
A couple therefore starts at USD 2,030,000. A couple with two qualifying children starts at USD 4,060,000. Department of State charges and medical examination costs sit outside those figures.
The USD 15,000 fee is due with the application and isn't returned after a refusal. The USD 1 million gift is requested after successful vetting. It is not held in escrow as an investment and it doesn't earn a return. Once paid, it isn't scheduled to come back to the applicant.
This family pricing is easy to miss. We have seen prospective applicants compare a USD 1 million Gold Card quote with an EB-5 family case as though both numbers covered the same people. They don't.
The official criteria are concise. An applicant must qualify for lawful permanent residence, be admissible to the United States and have a visa available in the classification assigned to the case. A large gift doesn't waive criminal, security or immigration checks.
The application sequence currently works as follows:
The government says processing should take weeks when documents arrive on time. That is a stated target, not a contractual approval deadline. Visa-number availability can extend the case, and consular scheduling adds another variable.
Applicants should expect source-of-funds records to receive close attention. The payment trail needs to make sense from the account that sends the gift back through the documented origin of the capital. A last-minute transfer through three companies may be lawful, but it creates questions that a clean personal account history doesn't.
The central benefit is permanent residence without the EB-5 requirement to place capital at risk in a commercial enterprise and create at least 10 qualifying US jobs. There is no regional-centre selection or project underwriting.
Green Card status can provide:
Naturalisation isn't automatic. Most permanent residents look to the five-year rule, but they must also satisfy physical-presence requirements and continuous residence. English and civics testing normally applies. Tax compliance matters too.
The Gold Card also isn't a passport purchase. It begins with permanent residence. Citizenship is a later application assessed under the same naturalisation law used for other Green Card holders.
Gold Card holders are US lawful permanent residents. The official programme FAQ states that they are subject to US tax, including tax on income earned outside the United States.
For an applicant with companies or investment accounts in several countries, this can be more consequential than the USD 1 million gift. US reporting may reach foreign corporations and financial accounts. Trusts can add another layer. The exact result depends on ownership and treaty position, so immigration planning should happen alongside US tax advice before permanent residence begins.
The proposed USD 5 million Platinum Card is different. Its advertised concept would allow up to 270 days in the United States without US tax on non-US income, but it remains a waitlist product. It isn't the operating Gold Card route, and the promised tax treatment would require a sound legal basis before anyone should build a plan around it.
Both routes can end in lawful permanent residence. The money behaves very differently.
| Point of comparison | Trump Gold Card | EB-5 investor route |
|---|---|---|
| Core amount | USD 1 million gift per applicant | USD 800,000 in a qualifying targeted area or infrastructure project; USD 1.05 million otherwise |
| Capital treatment | Nonrefundable government gift | Investment remains at risk and may be returned if the project performs |
| Family pricing | Each dependant needs a separate gift and processing fee | Spouse and qualifying children can be derivatives of one principal investment |
| Job creation | No direct 10-job requirement for the applicant | At least 10 qualifying full-time jobs required |
| Immigration basis | EB-1 or EB-2, as determined by the government | Statutory EB-5 category |
| Tax position after residence | US tax applies, including on non-US income | Same Green Card tax position |
| Main diligence issue | Legal eligibility and source of funds | Immigration compliance plus project and repayment risk |
For a family of four, the Gold Card's base government outlay is USD 4,060,000. A typical EB-5 case can include the spouse and qualifying children under one principal investment, although filing charges and professional costs increase the total. That gap changes the decision.
The Gold Card may suit a single applicant who places a high value on speed, has no interest in monitoring an investment project and accepts that the gift is gone. EB-5 can make more financial sense for a family that wants one investment to support the residence applications and is prepared to accept project risk.
Our full US EB-5 programme guide explains the investment thresholds and job-creation test. Applicants comparing the United States with non-US options may also find the citizenship programme comparison useful.
A company can sponsor an employee through the Corporate Gold Card. The required gift is USD 2 million for each employee, plus a USD 15,000 processing fee per person.
The corporate version has one feature the individual route doesn't: the sponsor may transfer the underlying contribution to a replacement employee. The new person still faces a background review. The official terms add a 1% annual maintenance fee and a 5% transfer fee.
This route is aimed at businesses that need permanent-residence capacity for senior personnel and want control over the sponsored slot. It shouldn't be confused with an ordinary employment visa. The employee receives permanent resident status if approved, and the company takes on a much larger cost than it would under most temporary work categories.
Start with the objective. If the family specifically wants to live in the United States and the nonrefundable cost isn't material, the Gold Card removes the commercial-project layer found in EB-5. That has genuine value.
The answer is weaker when the objective is simply better travel access or a backup residence. Permanent residence in the United States creates obligations that a second passport or a residence permit elsewhere may not. Paying USD 4,060,000 for a family of four is difficult to justify if no one intends to build a life in America.
There are also programme-level questions. The route is young, it works through executive action and the final visa classification remains subject to existing immigration statutes. Applicants should evaluate the law as it stands on the filing date rather than relying on early launch headlines.
Become Global Citizen uses a two-step test here. First, does the client need US permanent residence rather than periodic US access? Second, does the Gold Card's lost capital buy enough time or simplicity to beat EB-5 for that household? If either answer is unclear, the file isn't ready.
For a case-specific cost comparison, send the family structure and intended US timeline through our contact form. Become Global Citizen can compare the Gold Card with EB-5 before legal and tax work begins.
Yes. Applications are accepted through the official US government portal. Applicants pay the DHS processing fee first and submit Form I-140G after receiving USCIS instructions.
No. It is an unrestricted gift to the US government, not an investment. The separate USD 15,000 processing fee is also nonrefundable.
No. A spouse and each unmarried child under 21 can be included in the family process, but each person needs a separate USD 1 million gift and USD 15,000 processing fee.
It grants lawful permanent residence if approved. A Green Card holder may later apply for naturalisation after meeting the applicable residence and physical-presence rules. Citizenship isn't granted with the Gold Card.
The government says the process should take weeks after receiving a complete application and fee. Country-based visa availability, document requests and interview scheduling can make an individual case longer.
It depends on family size and treatment of capital. The Gold Card avoids project and job-creation requirements but uses a nonrefundable gift for every applicant. EB-5 places capital at risk in a qualifying enterprise and can include derivative family members under one principal investment.