BizAndhra Special

President Donald Trump has formally launched the “Gold Card” immigration programme, a paid fast-track route to U.S. residency that lets qualifying applicants obtain an expedited path to a green card in return for a large one-time payment. The administration has opened a registration website and set fees at roughly $1 million for individuals and $2 million for companies per employee, plus a processing fee; companies may also face recurring or transfer fees. The White House and major news agencies say funds are treated as a government payment rather than a traditional investment.

The administration positions the Gold Card as a cleaner, fraud-resistant successor to the EB-5 investor visa. Unlike EB-5 — which requires investing capital at risk into U.S. commercial enterprises and creating (or preserving) 10 full-time jobs per investor — the Gold Card dispenses with specific job-creation requirements and instead hinges on the value of the financial contribution and background checks. Proponents say it will swiftly attract wealthy graduates, entrepreneurs and corporate talent; critics argue it converts immigration into a pay-to-enter scheme and widens inequity.

Gold Card vs EB-5 — Quick Comparison

Key practical features of the new programme

• Fees and structure: Individual applicants pay about $1 million (reporting varies on tiers); companies may pay $2 million per employee to sponsor fast tracking. A non-refundable DHS processing fee (reported at ~$15,000) is required up front.

• Funds treatment: Reporters and legal analysts describe the payment as a one-time contribution or “gift” to the U.S. Treasury rather than a capital stake that remains the investor’s property, unlike EB-5. That means applicants should not expect a return of principal.

• No explicit job-creation clause: The Gold Card removes EB-5’s statutory job-creation link — a central change proponents say eliminates a major fraud vector, while opponents warn it severs the public-benefit rationale for investor visas.

• Processing and oversight: The programme is being pushed out administratively (White House statement and a dedicated website/registration portal), with Commerce and DHS named as overseeing bodies in public announcements.

How this compares to EB-5

• What stays with the applicant: Under EB-5, the invested capital remains the investor’s asset (it’s invested “at risk” in a business or regional center) and must be sustained until removal of conditional status. For EB-5 conditional residents the ‘sustainment’ period is the two-year conditional residency, and USCIS expects evidence the investment remained at risk until the I-829 (removal of conditions) is approved — in practice that can stretch several years. Under the Gold Card the payment is described in media reporting as non-refundable and not retained as an investment by the applicant.

• Job creation requirement: EB-5 — explicit (10 jobs). Gold Card — no explicit statutory job-creation test in the administration’s descriptions so far.

• Administration and legality: EB-5 runs through USCIS and long-standing immigration law and regulations; Gold Card has been set out via executive direction and an administration-run website, raising questions about scope and need for statutory authorisation. Legal commentators note the administration claims it can implement changes administratively, while critics argue Congress should legislate such a fundamental rewrite.

  Key Takeaways

  ✔ Gold Card = a pathway to U.S. Green Card

  ✔ BUT it is not the same as EB-5

  ✔ It has no investment, no job creation, and no conditional period

  ✔ It is based on a non-refundable payment

  ✔ It may be easier to get — but legally less stable