A new route.Know the details.

Understand what the gift does and does not buy

Under the official framework checked September 7, 2026, an individual pays a nonrefundable processing fee of US$15,000 and, after successful vetting, gives US$1,000,000 to the U.S. government; each joining spouse or unmarried child under 21 adds another US$15,000 and another US$1,000,000. The case is then processed in the EB-1 or EB-2 immigrant category, subject to that category’s eligibility, admissibility and visa availability. The gift is not an investment and is not returned. What the applicant receives, if successful, is ordinary lawful permanent residence, with all of its obligations, not a special travel privilege.

Permanent residence expects the resident to live in the United States

A permanent resident who spends most of each year outside the United States may be found to have abandoned status, particularly where the home, employment and family remain abroad. An absence of more than 180 days subjects the resident to inspection as an applicant for admission and may prompt additional questions, but duration alone is not a conclusive abandonment rule. After an absence of one year or more, a green card is generally not sufficient as the travel document; a re-entry permit obtained before departure can permit an application for admission without a returning-resident visa, but it does not guarantee admission or conclusively prevent an abandonment finding. Officers assess the resident’s intent and overall pattern of ties. The Gold Card gift does not alter that analysis.

Compare the plan with categories built for occasional work

If the actual need is to work in the United States for defined periods each year, a nonimmigrant category may fit the facts better than permanent residence. A TN in a listed profession with a U.S. client-employer, or an L-1 if his consulting corporation has a U.S. affiliate, permits entry for the engagement and departure afterward without any residence obligation. Neither requires a gift. The Gold Card makes sense for a household that intends to move; it is an expensive and fragile choice for one that does not. The family should be honest about where it will live before paying a nonrefundable fee.

What to ask before paying the fee

Ask the official page for the current fee, gift and family figures and keep a dated copy. Ask whether a re-entry permit would be available and for how long, and what the consequences of a two-year absence would be. Ask what the family’s tax position becomes as U.S. permanent residents, since that requires separate professional advice. Ask which of EB-1 or EB-2 the case would rest on and whether the consultant’s qualifications meet it. Ask what happens to the fee if vetting fails. Each answer should come from the official source or a qualified adviser, never inferred from EB-5 or from another applicant’s experience.

Before paying a nonrefundable processing fee, the household should identify whether the individual or corporate path applies, the immigrant classification DHS may appropriately determine, and the intended residence date. Executive Order 14351 directs that the later gift be treated as evidence of specified EB-1 or EB-2 eligibility, but payment confirmation does not establish successful vetting, admissibility, or visa availability. If the plan is to keep the centre of life in Canada, later trips alone will not preserve permanent residence; officers assess the actual pattern of residence and intent.