On December 18, 2025, President Trump of the United States announced the official launch of the “Gold Card” immigration program, allowing foreign nationals to quickly obtain permanent residency in the United States by contributing a $1 million “contribution fee,” which has sparked high attention in the immigration community. Los Angeles immigration lawyer Chen Qigeng analyzed the legal stability and cost-effectiveness of the newly introduced Gold Card immigration policy.
Chen Qigeng stated that although the Gold Card program is marketed as having a “low threshold” and a quick way to obtain a green card, there are still uncertainties. Applicants not only have to undergo strict financial source reviews but may also bear the risk of policy withdrawal. He advised prospective immigrants to carefully evaluate their options or consider the long-standing EB-5 investment immigration program.
Regarding the financial review, the Gold Card program is almost identical to the EB-5 program. Applicants must provide a comprehensive explanation to the immigration authorities about the legal sources of their funds, including tracing the acquisition and accumulation process of the “first dollar.” For individual applicants, they need to prove the source of $1 million; if accompanied by family members, each additional member requires an additional proof of $1 million, meaning a family of three needs to provide a total funding proof of $3 million.
Unlike the EB-5 program, the $1 million under the Gold Card category is a non-refundable “donation,” in addition to a $15,000 processing fee and no requirement to create employment opportunities. In comparison, the current minimum investment threshold for EB-5 is $800,000 in high-unemployment or rural areas, requiring the creation of at least 10 full-time jobs. However, some investment projects have the potential to recover the principal investment after 3 to 5 years.
Another aspect to consider is that the Gold Card immigration program does not introduce new immigration categories or quotas but incorporates existing frameworks under EB-1 and EB-2. As long as the applicants can legally prove they possess $1 million, they can be considered to have “outstanding abilities” without the need to further prove education, professional achievements, or industry contributions.
Therefore, Chen Qigeng advises that applicants from countries with significant backlogs like China and India may still face years of waiting despite applying for the Gold Card immigration program and cannot gain priority processing by paying high fees.
On the corporate side, the Trump administration has also introduced the “Corporate Gold Card,” where companies can pay $2 million for foreign employees and an additional $1 million for each family member. Chen Qigeng believes that from a practical perspective, compared to traditional EB-2 or EB-3 work visas with total costs of around $20,000 and a process taking about 4 years, it raises significant doubts whether companies are willing to bear costs of several million dollars just to shorten the waiting time by about two to two and a half years.
Currently, many clients have shown interest in consulting Chen Qigeng’s law firm about the Gold Card, but there are very few who are actually prepared to submit applications. He analyzed that the main reason is that the program has not been legislatively passed by Congress and is only an administrative policy, which could face legal challenges in the future and potentially be overturned by the court or subsequent governments during Trump’s tenure.
While officials claim that the Gold Card could bring in billions of dollars in fiscal revenue for the United States, several economists and immigration experts have questioned its limited real economic benefits to the overall U.S. economy. For foreign investors, it may not necessarily be the most cost-effective option.
“If the applicant has sufficient funds, a clear source, and wishes to take a legal and lower-risk immigration path, the EB-5 remain a relatively stable option,” said Chen Qigeng. In contrast, the Gold Card is more suitable for a minority group with “extremely abundant funds, where time costs are far higher than monetary costs, and who can bear policy risks.”
He also cautioned that some intermediaries in the market are promoting the Gold Card as “risk-free” and guaranteeing a quick green card, which is overly simplified. Applicants should gather information from multiple sources and consult with professional immigration lawyers before making a decision. As of now, since the I-140G form specifically for the Trump Gold Card was only released a few days ago, there is no actual successful case to refer to.
“At this stage, it is advisable to wait and see, then plan after the legal and policy directions become clearer; this would be a more responsible approach for applicants,” Chen Qigeng said.