IN THIS GUIDE · Rebuild the application plan when moving from an EB-5 proposal to Gold Card
Start with the GOLD CARD eligibility and application overview
Separate commercial capital from the government gift
An EB-5 proposal concerns a qualifying commercial investment and its own requirements. The Gold Card contribution described in the FAQ is a gift to the United States after successful vetting. Do not assume money committed to a private project has been paid as the government gift or is immediately available to redirect. List the money already committed together with its present location: paid to an escrow agent, transferred to a project entity, held in a personal account, or promised but not yet paid. Each of those answers the question of whether the funds can be redirected differently, and the answer comes from the agreement that governs them rather than from the project's willingness. Hypothetical example: a device regulatory consultant has 500,000 U.S. dollars with an escrow agent under terms that release on a milestone; whether that milestone has occurred decides the question.
Use the published Gold Card amounts
Current individual terms require US$15,000 nonrefundable processing and a US$1 million principal gift after vetting and official instructions. Corporate principal terms are US$2 million plus US$15,000, with 1% annual maintenance and 5% transfer including a new background check. Private project terms do not amend those amounts or promise reimbursement. Set the published amounts out per person before discussing affordability, since the arithmetic changes shape once the household is counted. Note which amounts are non-refundable and which follow vetting, because they fall at different points in the sequence and the earlier one is spent whatever happens afterwards. Corporate terms carry recurring obligations that an individual case does not, and those belong on the same page as the principal amount rather than in a footnote.
Assess the actual person and household
EB-1 or EB-2 eligibility, admissibility and visa availability remain necessary. The intended eligible spouse and unmarried children under 21 should be included initially; each adds US$15,000 and a US$1 million gift, including corporate cases. An EB-5 job forecast does not establish the Gold Card applicant’s entire eligibility or replace the required individual review. Assess the person against the classification, not against the project. EB-1 or EB-2 eligibility rests on the applicant's own record, and admissibility and visa availability are separate questions again. Gather what speaks to those: the employment history, the qualifications, and the evidence supporting the classification the case will rely on. A job creation forecast prepared for a commercial project speaks to none of them.
Review existing commitments and case history
Identify any existing investment agreement or immigration filing and its actual status before changing plans. A private decision to prefer Gold Card neither withdraws another case nor releases project funds automatically. Do not import an EB-5 conditional-residence or I-829 calendar into the published EB-1 or EB-2 Gold Card route. Write down every existing commitment with its termination clause: the subscription agreement, any escrow instruction, and any filing already made with an authority. Ask counsel what formally withdraws each one, if anything does, and what follows from withdrawal. A decision taken at the kitchen table changes none of them, and learning later that a filing remained pending creates a problem in both processes.
Sources reviewed 2026-09-07. This guide covers a preparation focus; it is not an individual eligibility assessment.