Read the general immigrant investor briefing overview
A Hudson household may hold Canadian-dollar savings while comparing EB-5 capital and a Gold Card gift. Establish the required U.S.-dollar amounts and the actual funding path. A preferred exchange rate is a planning assumption, not an immigration decision or evidence that money has arrived. Decide first which of the two the household is actually choosing between, because they answer different questions. One is a capital commitment placed at risk in an enterprise; the other is a payment made to the U.S. government by the applicant. A rate comparison between them measures nothing until that is settled.
Record the actual currency transaction
Identify the funds available, the account holder, the intended recipient and the completed conversion or transfer records. Keep estimated proceeds distinct from confirmed amounts and record charges separately. Do not describe a bank quote as a settled payment or count the same reserved funds in both alternatives. This worksheet predicts no rate and recommends no conversion date.
Retain EB-5 capital and operating requirements
Current EB-5 capital is US$1.05 million or US$800,000 for a qualifying targeted-employment-area or infrastructure case, with statutory adjustments beginning January 1, 2027 under petition-filing-date rules. Lawful source and path, capital at risk, ten qualifying full-time jobs per investor under the applicable framework and management or policy participation remain necessary. A currency conversion does not establish those conditions.
Retain the Gold Card payment sequence
The current processing charge is US$15,000 nonrefundable per person. Successful vetting and official instructions precede the gift: US$1 million individually or US$2 million for a corporate-sponsored employee. Intended eligible relatives should be included initially; each joining eligible spouse or unmarried child under 21 adds US$15,000 and US$1 million. EB-1 or EB-2 eligibility, admissibility and visa availability still apply. Corporate terms include 1% annual maintenance and 5% transfer with a new background check, not guaranteed replacement approval.
Separate payment from the residence record
A Gold Card gift is not an investment promised to return. EB-5 conditional residence begins through immigrant-visa admission or adjustment approval, not the transfer date; I-829 is generally filed during the 90 days before that residence’s second anniversary. Filing I-829 does not itself remove conditions or guarantee capital repayment. Record the actual immigration event separately from the exchange confirmation and preserve unresolved shortfalls as questions rather than assuming they are excused.
Decide what happens to the money in each case
Ask a blunt question about each route: after the funds have gone, what might come back, and on what terms? An investment placed at risk may return capital or may not, and the requirement that it stand at risk is precisely why no return can be promised. A payment to the U.S. government is not an investment and carries no expectation of repayment. Writing down what each path does to the money, and what it does not, is the step that makes a comparison honest. Confirm current terms for either route from the official source before relying on any figure.
What else is on your mind?
Does an EB-5 immigration review tell me whether an investment is good?Is the Gold Card another name for EB-5?Should I assume one Gold Card payment covers my family?Editorial source review: 2026-09-07. General preparation guidance, not an individual assessment.