{"id":102187,"date":"2026-10-09T19:35:12","date_gmt":"2026-10-09T12:35:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/immgroup.com\/imm-group\/is-the-eb-5-program-still-available-gold-card\/"},"modified":"2026-10-09T19:35:19","modified_gmt":"2026-10-09T12:35:19","slug":"is-the-eb-5-program-still-available-gold-card","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/immgroup.com\/en\/my\/eb5\/is-the-eb-5-program-still-available-gold-card\/","title":{"rendered":"Is the EB-5 Program Still Available?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Is the EB-5 Program Still Available? What a US$5 Million Gold Card Would Change<\/h1>\n

April 25, 2025 \u00b7 EB-5 \u00b7 11 min read<\/p>\n

The Trump administration’s proposed “Gold Card,” with a non-refundable US$5 million investment, could make the path to a U.S. green card more expensive than ever.<\/p>\n

{#bo-qua-so: “cuoi thang 2” dich thanh chu “late February”; so 5 trong EB-5 nguon dung gach noi U+2011 nen may tach sai} In late February, President Donald Trump announced a proposal that drew attention across the investment migration market: replacing the EB-5 investor green card program<\/strong> with a new category called the “Gold Card,” carrying a non-refundable investment of up to US$5 million. The proposal immediately raised a pressing question for international investors: is the EB-5 program still available, and how much longer will the US$800,000 route into the United States stay open?<\/p>\n

From the EB-5 visa to the “Gold Card”: a far more expensive route to a U.S. green card<\/h2>\n

{#bo-qua-so: so 5 trong “EB-5” nguon dung gach noi U+2011 nen may doc thanh so roi} EB-5 was created by the U.S. Congress in 1990 and allows foreign investors to obtain a green card by investing in a commercial enterprise that creates at least 10 jobs in the United States. Over more than 30 years it has become a preferred immigration route for tens of thousands of families worldwide, and IMM Group has taken hundreds of successful cases from Vietnam through the process.<\/p>\n

The “Gold Card” proposal, however, could change the rules entirely. As announced, the Gold Card would require a US$5 million payment made directly into the U.S. budget, with no job-creation requirement, no project to invest in, and no return of capital. In effect, it would be a cash-for-residence route rather than an investment.<\/p>\n

The Gold Card has not yet reached the implementation stage. Even so, the administration’s continued political and public campaigning to make the idea a reality has been enough to create a wave of apprehension and prompt investors to act early.<\/p>\n

A difference of millions of dollars: an opportunity cost that can shape a generation<\/h2>\n

As a legal matter, immigration experts note that for the Gold Card to replace or eliminate EB-5, the administration would have to go through Congress, which would certainly face significant obstacles.<\/p>\n

Over the longer term, however, implementation of the Gold Card is entirely possible. Were that to happen, the investment required for a U.S. green card would no longer be US$800,000 but as much as US$5 million, with no return of capital.<\/p>\n

Comparing the two programs shows the extent of the loss an investor could suffer by waiting:<\/p>\n

Criteria<\/strong><\/p>\n

EB-5 (current)<\/strong><\/p>\n

Gold Card (proposed)<\/strong><\/p>\n

Investment<\/p>\n

US$800,000<\/p>\n

US$5,000,000<\/p>\n

Return of capital<\/p>\n

Capital may be returned after 5\u20137 years<\/p>\n

None<\/p>\n

Job creation<\/p>\n

10 jobs required<\/p>\n

Not required<\/p>\n

Statutory basis<\/p>\n

Yes, enacted by Congress<\/p>\n

None yet; a political announcement only<\/p>\n

Legal status<\/p>\n

Authorized through fiscal year 2027 under the EB-5 Reform and Integrity Act of 2022 (RIA)<\/p>\n

Still being developed; no defined process<\/p>\n

With a gap of as much as US$4.2 million, investors who hesitate face not only a far larger financial commitment but also a passive position for their family’s immigration plans.<\/p>\n

Acting early to protect your eligibility<\/h2>\n

Technology billionaire Elon Musk, through an engineering team at the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), is reported to be developing the software and the online filing process for the program. According to reporting by The New York Times, the system is intended to cut processing times to as little as two weeks, far faster than current EB-5 processing. The fact that the administration and figures as prominent as Elon Musk are pressing ahead suggests the program is being advanced, and that EB-5 could be displaced at some point.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, the EB-5 program continues to accept and adjudicate petitions as normal. The grandfathering provision of the EB-5 Reform and Integrity Act of 2022 (RIA, Public Law 117-103) is explicit: a regional center EB-5 petition properly filed on or before September 30, 2026 must continue to be adjudicated to a final decision even if the program lapses, and visas already issued are not revoked because the program has ended. In other words, whichever way the policy goes, investors who have filed, or who file in time, keep their place in the queue and their petitions continue to be processed if EB-5 is later replaced.<\/p>\n

Filing a complete EB-5 petition, however, requires roughly 6\u201312 weeks of preparation, including:<\/p>\n