Read the general immigrant investor briefing overview
Money that moved through two or three currencies before reaching a destination account has a history that a closing balance does not show. Reconstruct it step by step: where the funds lawfully came from, every account and institution they passed through, and what was actually available after conversion costs. Do that work before deciding between an EB-5 investment and a Gold Card application.
Reconstruct each leg with its own records
For every conversion and transfer, record the date, the sending and receiving accounts, the institution or broker, the amount out, the amount in, the rate applied, and any fee or spread. Name the owner of each account, including any intermediary who is not the applicant. Keep the underlying source documents — sale agreements, employment or dividend records, tax filings — attached to the first leg, rather than starting the story at the point the money arrived. Foreign-language records submitted to USCIS require a full certified English translation.
Work out what is actually available
The headline figure and the amount that lands are rarely the same once spreads, wire charges and intermediary fees are counted. Total those costs so that the available capital is a measured number rather than an estimate. A favourable exchange movement between conversions is a gain to document like any other; it does not by itself explain the original source of the capital and not a reason to expect any particular outcome. EB-5 capital must be at risk, its lawful source and path shown, and qualifying job creation established; no return and no approval is guaranteed.
Compare the two commitments on their own terms
Hypothetical example: savings held in one currency in Pointe-Claire are converted through a broker into a second currency, held for a year, then converted into U.S. dollars. The official Gold Card FAQ describes a gift made after successful vetting, leading for an eligible applicant to permanent residence through EB-1 or EB-2, subject to eligibility, admissibility and visa availability, with published fees and separate steps and costs for included family members. It is not an EB-5 investment and not automatic residence or citizenship. Check the fees currently published, and ask the same funds-trail questions about whichever route you are considering.
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.