The Trump Card: What the US Gold Card Is, and Why EB-5 Still Wins

Reviewed by Jane Katkova, Founder & Licensed CICC Consultant· Last updated: September 2026

The Trump Card, officially the Gold Card, is a US residence-for-payment idea announced in February 2025 at US$5 million and created by executive order later that year at a reported US$1 million for individuals and US$2 million for corporate sponsorship. As of April 2026 it had one confirmed approval and was being litigated. It is not a statute, it is not a visa category Congress created, and it cannot replace EB-5. We do not build client plans on it.

US Gold Card: current status, legal basis and key facts (2026)

• Created by Executive Order in 2025. No act of Congress; immigrant visa categories are set by statute
• US$1,000,000 Individual, US$2,000,000 Corporate (Reported). Announced at US$5,000,000 in February 2025; figures have moved
• One Approval Confirmed as of April 2026. Litigation active
• Unclear Benefits. Reported as permanent residence with some tax treatment of foreign income; not tested
• Not Refundable. A payment to the Treasury, not an investment
• Cannot Replace EB-5. EB-5 is statute; changing or ending it needs Congress
• Our Position: Watch It; Do Not Plan on It. We file EB-5, E-2 or TN, which are established in law

Trump Gold Card visa: what the executive order provides

The idea was first announced in February 2025 as a US$5 million card giving green-card rights and a path to citizenship, presented as a way to reduce the deficit and, in the announcement, to replace EB-5. The executive order signed later in 2025 set reported amounts of US$1 million for an individual and US$2 million for a company sponsoring an employee, with an application website and a promise of expedited processing. Because the President cannot create an immigrant visa category, the order works by directing agencies to use existing authority, which is where the lawsuits sit: whether a payment can substitute for the statutory requirements of any existing category.

As of April 2026 there was one confirmed approval and active litigation. No published regulation sets who qualifies, what the family gets, how tax on foreign income would be treated, or what happens to the payment if the programme is struck down. These terms are not public, and the government has not published them. For a Canadian or a US resident on another passport who wants a green card in the next two years, this is not a basis for planning.

EB-5, by contrast, is in the Immigration and Nationality Act. Its US$800,000 targeted employment area minimum, its 10-job test and its regional-centre framework were rewritten by Congress in 2022, and its rural petitions are being decided in about 9.6 months. The programme has its own risks, which we list on the EB-5 page, but it is established in law.

US Gold Card compared with the EB-5 visa

Reported Gold Card terms set against the EB-5 statute. Figures verified 27 September 2026.

US Gold Card potential benefits and risks, if it is upheld

Advantages

• No project risk. A payment to the Treasury cannot fail like a construction loan can.
• No job-creation test. Nothing to prove at a later stage, if the reported structure holds.
• Announced expedited processing. Expedited processing was announced; it has not been demonstrated at scale.
• Possible tax treatment. Reports suggest foreign income might not be taxed; nothing in law says so yet.

Limitations and risks

• Uncertain legal durability. Litigation could end it, and an executive order can be revoked at any time.
• The money is spent, not invested. US$1 million paid and not returned, against US$800,000 that EB-5 projects are structured to repay.
• No rules to rely on. Family coverage, tax status and refund on failure are all unwritten.
• One approval. As of April 2026. There is no track record to assess.
• Market uncertainty and delayed filings. Clients delayed EB-5 filings waiting for it while the 30 September 2026 grandfathering date approached.

Our Gold Card advice for Canadian and US-resident clients

For Canadian citizens

If you want a US green card, file EB-5 in a rural project now; Canada has no backlog and the decision comes in about 10 months. If you only want to work in the US, TN or E-2 costs far less than US$1 million. If the Gold Card becomes law with clear tax treatment, we will say so, and it may matter for wealthy Canadians who fear worldwide US taxation. Until then, a green card, however obtained, makes you a US tax resident on worldwide income and triggers Canadian departure tax.

For US and Canada residents on another passport

Waiting for the Gold Card has cost some H-1B holders a year. EB-5 with a rural set-aside is current for Indian and Chinese nationals today, and concurrent I-485 filing brings a work permit in months. A programme with one approval and no regulation cannot do that. Read how the set-asides avoid the backlog.

Plan your US residency on the EB-5, E-2 or TN routes

We will tell you what EB-5, E-2 or TN can do for you this year, and we will tell you if the Gold Card ever becomes something we can file. Book a consultation.

Frequently asked questions

What is the Trump Card or Gold Card?

A proposed US residence-for-payment programme, announced in February 2025 at US$5 million and created by executive order later that year at a reported US$1 million (US$2 million for corporate sponsorship). It is not a statutory visa category. As of April 2026 it had one confirmed approval and was being litigated.

When will the Trump Gold Card be available?

An application site exists and one approval was confirmed by April 2026, but there is no regulation, no published eligibility rule and active litigation over whether the programme is lawful. We cannot give a date and we do not advise waiting for one.

Does the Gold Card replace EB-5?

No. EB-5 is in the Immigration and Nationality Act and can only be changed by Congress. The regional-centre programme is authorised to 30 September 2027 and petitions filed on or before 30 September 2026 are grandfathered. Direct EB-5 is permanent law.

Is there a US golden visa?

EB-5 is the US golden visa in substance: US$800,000 in a targeted employment area, 10 jobs, a green card for the family. The Gold Card is the only programme that uses the name, and it is not yet a reliable basis for planning.

Would a Gold Card holder pay US tax on worldwide income?

Reports have suggested foreign income would not be taxed, but nothing in law says so. Under current law anyone holding a green card is a US tax resident on worldwide income. Until Congress or the IRS writes a rule, assume the standard treatment.

This guide is part of our United States Residency by Investment: EB-5 and More overview.

Official sources and references

1. White House: Presidential actions (Gold Card executive order, 2025)
2. USCIS: EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program
3. USCIS: EB-5 Reform and Integrity Act of 2022