Green card through investment (EB-5) and the "Gold Card"

This page is for those who want to obtain permanent residence by investing in the United States or donating to the U.S. government. It explains the requirements, investment amounts, steps, and fees that change on November 30, 2026, for the EB-5 investor program. It also explains how the "Gold Card" program established in 2025 works. For an investor visa that does not grant a green card, see 2.5 Investor and trader (E-2 / E-1).

Before applying, check the latest information on the program's official page.

• It is for investors who invest in a new commercial enterprise in the United States and create at least 10 full-time jobs. The investor's spouse and unmarried children under 21 may also obtain green cards.
• New commercial enterprise: Any for-profit business established after November 29, 1990. An older business also qualifies if it is purchased and restructured, or if its net worth or number of employees increases by at least 40% through the investment. Buying the home in which you live does not count as a commercial enterprise.
• Full-time job: at least 35 hours per week.
• Counted employees: U.S. citizens, green card holders, and other immigrants with work authorization. The investor, spouse, children, and temporary visa holders such as H-1B holders are not counted.
• Temporary, seasonal, or intermittent jobs do not count.
• Troubled business: In a business that has operated for at least 2 years and incurred a loss of at least 20% of its net worth during the 12 or 24 months before the petition, maintaining the number of employees at least at the level it had two years before the investment may also satisfy the job-creation requirement.

• For petitions filed on or after March 15, 2022:
  • general: $1,050,000
  • in a targeted employment area (TEA) or infrastructure project: $800,000
• Targeted employment area: A rural area or an area whose unemployment rate is at least 150% of the national average at the time of investment.
• Amounts are adjusted for inflation every 5 years. The first adjustment will apply to petitions filed on or after January 1, 2027. Check the current amount on the USCIS website before applying.
• Items not counted as capital:
  • assets obtained through illegal means
  • lending money to the business (an investment in exchange for a promissory note, bond, or loan agreement)
  • an investment with a guaranteed return
  • an investment that gives the investor a contractual right to repayment
• You must show that you are the lawful owner of the invested capital.

• Direct investment (Form I-526): The business must create jobs directly; that is, the employees must be employees of the business itself.
• Investment through a regional center (Form I-526E): You invest in a project affiliated with a USCIS-approved regional center. Up to 90% of the job-creation requirement may be met through indirect jobs.
  • The regional center program has been authorized by law through September 30, 2027.
  • USCIS's website contains a state-by-state list of approved regional centers and a list of centers removed from the program.
• Set-aside quotas: Each year, 20% of EB-5 visas are reserved for investors in rural areas, 10% for investors in high-unemployment areas, and 2% for investors in infrastructure projects.
• October 2026 Visa Bulletin: In the column that includes Türkiye, all EB-5 subcategories are current (C); there is no wait.

1. Petition: File Form I-526 (direct investment) or Form I-526E (regional center) with USCIS.
2. If you are in the United States: If a visa is immediately available, you may file Form I-485 together with the petition, while the petition is pending, or after approval.
3. If you are in Türkiye: Once the petition is approved, apply to the Department of State for an immigrant visa using DS-260. The interview takes place at the U.S. Embassy in Ankara. See 3.9 Immigrant visa interview (Ankara).
4. Conditional green card: Once I-485 is approved or you enter the United States with an EB-5 visa, you and your family receive two-year conditional permanent residence.
5. Removing the condition: Form I-829 is filed during the 90 days immediately before the second anniversary of conditional status.
   • A properly filed I-829 submitted on time extends the validity of the conditional card by 48 months from its expiration date.
   • If I-829 is not filed on time, conditional status ends and you may be deported. A late filing may be made with a written explanation if there is a good cause and extraordinary circumstance.
6. If I-485, I-765, or I-131 is filed together with I-526 or I-526E, the fee for each form must be paid separately. Applications combined into a single payment are rejected.
7. For conditional status, also see 3.10 Conditional green card.

• Fees effective as of October 16, 2026 (G-1055, 07.10.2026 edition):
  • Form I-526: $3,675
  • Form I-526E: $3,675 plus an additional $1,000 required under the EB-5 Reform and Integrity Act
  • Form I-829: $3,750
• New fees for applications postmarked on or after November 30, 2026 (Federal Register, final rule dated September 30, 2026):
  • Form I-526: $7,615
  • Form I-526E initial filing: $7,850; the separately paid statutory fee becomes $1,100
  • Form I-526E amendment filing: $7,775
  • Form I-829: $5,000
  • A $75 EB-5 technology fee is included in the I-526 and initial I-526E fees.
• Other fees:
  • immigrant visa application fee (Department of State): $345 per person
  • USCIS immigrant fee: $235
  • Form I-485 (from within the United States): $1,440 (paper) or $1,390 (online)

• It was established by Executive Order 14351 dated September 19, 2025. The program is administered by the U.S. Department of Commerce; applications are accepted through trumpcard.gov.
• A nonrefundable donation to the U.S. Department of Commerce is treated as evidence of eligibility for an employment-based immigrant visa:
  • donation by an individual on their own behalf: $1 million
  • donation by a company on behalf of an employee: $2 million
• A successful applicant receives a green card in the EB-1 (extraordinary ability) or EB-2 (exceptional ability with a national interest waiver) category. The Department of State may determine the category during visa processing.
• The applicant must be eligible for permanent residence, admissible to the United States, and have a visa number available. In the October 2026 bulletin, EB-1 is current, while the Final Action date for EB-2 is January 1, 2025.
• The Gold Card is not an EB-5 investment. There is no job-creation requirement in exchange for the donation.
• Like all green card holders, the cardholder is subject to U.S. tax on worldwide income.
• The official website also has a waiting list for the "Trump Platinum Card." This card has not yet been launched.

1. Registration: Apply online through trumpcard.gov and pay a $15,000 processing fee per person. The fee is nonrefundable and is paid to the Department of Commerce.
2. USCIS account: After payment is completed, USCIS invites you by email to open a my.uscis.gov account.
3. Form I-140G: The petition may be filed only through the USCIS online account; it cannot be filed by mail. Documents showing that your sources of funds are lawful are attached.
4. Security review: USCIS conducts a detailed background check.
5. Immigrant visa: Once the petition is approved and a visa number is available, you and your family complete immigrant visa processing at a U.S. mission abroad. In Türkiye, this is the Embassy in Ankara.
6. Donation: After the interview, if all other requirements are met, you receive instructions to transfer the donation to the Department of Commerce. The donation is made before the visa is issued; proof of transfer is uploaded to your USCIS account.
7. Visa and entry: Once you enter the United States with the visa, you become a permanent resident.
8. Family: A spouse and unmarried children under 21 must be added to the initial application. A separate $15,000 processing fee and $1 million donation are required for each family member. Company applications also require a $1 million donation for each family member.
9. Company applications: A company may stop sponsoring one employee and sponsor a new employee with the same donation. According to the official website, a 1% annual maintenance fee and a 5% transfer fee are charged for this.
10. Timing: The official website states that the process is expected to be completed within weeks after the processing fee and application are received. The visa interview and additional documents may affect this timeframe.

• Nature of the money: In EB-5, the money is invested in a business and is at risk. With the Gold Card, the money is a nonrefundable donation to the U.S. government.
• Amount: EB-5 requires $1,050,000 or $800,000. The Gold Card requires $1 million per person ($2 million with company sponsorship) and a $15,000 processing fee.
• Job creation: EB-5 requires at least 10 full-time jobs. The Gold Card does not.
• First card: Under EB-5, the first green card is conditional for 2 years and requires I-829. The Gold Card is issued in the EB-1 or EB-2 category.
• Application route: Under EB-5, I-485 from within the United States is also possible. For the Gold Card, visa processing is completed at a U.S. mission abroad.

• USCIS Dallas Lockbox — Forms I-526 and I-526E (including when filed with I-485 or an I-485 based on I-526/I-526E)
  • Mail (USPS): USCIS, Attn: I-526/E, P.O. Box 660168, Dallas, TX 75266-0168
  • Courier: USCIS, Attn: I-526/E (Box 660168), 2501 S. State Highway 121 Business, Suite 400, Lewisville, TX 75067-8003
• USCIS Dallas Lockbox — Form I-829
  • Mail (USPS): USCIS, Attn: I-829, P.O. Box 650889, Dallas, TX 75265-0889
  • Courier: USCIS, Attn: I-829 (Box 650889), 2501 S. State Hwy. 121 Business, Suite 400, Lewisville, TX 75067-8003
• USCIS Immigrant Investor Program Office (IPO) — cases exceeding processing times, changes of contact information, incorrect notices
  • Email: USCIS.ImmigrantInvestorProgram@uscis.dhs.gov
  • The office responds within at least 14 calendar days. If there is no response, resend the email with "ESCALATE" in the subject line; wait 21 days for the second response.
  • Writing to this address does not stop any response deadline given to you. Do not share sensitive information such as a Social Security number in the email.
• USCIS Contact Center: +1 800 375 5283 (TTY +1 800 767 1833), from outside the United States +1 212 620 3418.
• Gold Card support — trumpcard.gov and Trump Platinum Card questions
  • Email: goldcard@doc.gov
• U.S. Embassy Ankara — immigrant visa interview
  • Address: Çukurambar Mahallesi, 1480 Sokak No: 1, 06530 Çankaya / Ankara
  • Telephone: +90 312 294 00 00

• Filing a regional center investment using Form I-526. USCIS rejects I-526 petitions for investments affiliated with regional centers; the correct form is I-526E.
• Structuring the investment as a loan or an agreement with a guaranteed return.
• Failing to document the lawful source of the funds.
• Applying with the old fee after November 30, 2026.
• Filing I-829 before the 90-day period begins or after the period ends.
• Failing to check whether the regional center is on USCIS's approved list.
• Assuming that the Gold Card is an investment that will be returned, like EB-5.
• Failing to add family members to the initial Gold Card application.

• Do I have to live in the United States for EB-5? You receive a green card through the investment. As a green card holder, you are expected to live in the United States; lengthy absences abroad put your status at risk. See 3.11 Maintaining your card.
• Is there a wait for Turkish citizens under EB-5? In the October 2026 bulletin, EB-5 is current in all subcategories in the column that includes Türkiye.
• What is the difference between an E-2 visa and EB-5? E-2 is a temporary investor visa and does not grant a green card. EB-5 grants permanent residence. See 2.5 Investor and trader (E-2 / E-1).
• Will the investment amount change in 2027? According to USCIS, the first inflation adjustment will apply to petitions filed on or after January 1, 2027. Check the USCIS website before applying for the new amount.
• Is the Gold Card's $15,000 fee refundable? No. It is nonrefundable regardless of the outcome.
• Can I apply for the Gold Card from within the United States? According to the Form I-140G instructions, immigrant visa processing is completed at a U.S. mission abroad.
• Does establishing a company count as EB-5? A company you establish yourself may qualify as a direct EB-5 investment if it meets the requirements. For company types, see 14.1 Company types. Consult an immigration attorney for these types of investments.

• Form I-526, direct investor petition (PDF)
• Form I-526 instructions (PDF)
• Form I-526E, regional center investor petition (PDF)
• Form I-526E instructions (PDF)
• Form I-829, removal of conditions (PDF)
• Form I-829 instructions (PDF)
• Form I-140G, Gold Card petition (PDF)
• Form I-140G instructions (PDF)
• USCIS fee schedule G-1055 (PDF)
• USCIS fee calculator
• List of approved EB-5 regional centers
• Federal Register – EB-5 fee rule
• Federal Register – Gold Card executive order
• trumpcard.gov – Gold Card application
• USCIS online account
• Check case status