US Gold Card: How the $1 Million Green Card Program Works

The Gold Card was created by Executive Order 14351, signed on September 19, 2025. It tells federal agencies to treat a large, unrestricted gift to the US Department of Commerce as evidence that a person qualifies for an existing green card category:

• EB-1A, extraordinary ability, or
• EB-2 with a national interest waiver.

It is not a new visa category written by Congress. It is a separate track inside EB-1 and EB-2, with its own form (I-140G), a large gift, and extra vetting. A proposed higher-priced "Platinum Card" would need a new law from Congress and is not available.

To use the Gold Card you must:

1. Register on the official site, trumpcard.gov, and receive confirmation.
2. File Form I-140G with USCIS and pay the processing fee.
3. Pass background and security vetting.
4. Show you can pay the gift with lawfully obtained funds, and pay it after approval.
5. Be admissible to the US, like any green card applicant.

The $15,000 fee is charged per person, including each family member. Be careful of websites or agents that claim to sell Gold Cards; use only trumpcard.gov and uscis.gov.

Early guidance points most applicants to consular processing abroad. Read the Form I-140G instructions on the USCIS site for the current rules on applying from inside the US.

As of April 2026, 1 Gold Card petition had been approved out of 338 requests. That tells you the vetting is slow and strict, and that paying the fee does not guarantee a card.

Because the Gold Card uses existing EB-1 and EB-2 visa numbers, the per-country caps and the monthly Visa Bulletin still apply. That matters most if you were born in India or China, where EB-1 and EB-2 have backlogs. Check the Visa Bulletin tracker before you apply.

The 2026 interview freeze. Since August 25, 2026, the State Department has paused scheduling of immigrant visa interviews worldwide while consular officers train on public charge screening. No restart date had been announced as of September 22, 2026. Track it on our immigrant visa pause page.

Travel ban. Nationals of the 39 countries covered by the travel ban (Proclamation 10998, in effect since January 1, 2026) generally cannot receive immigrant visas abroad, and USCIS has held many pending applications from those countries for extra review.

The 2026 adjustment of status memo. On May 21, 2026, USCIS issued a policy memo (PM-602-0199) that treats adjustment of status as a discretionary benefit. USCIS said that people who are in the US on a temporary visa and want a green card should expect to apply from their home country, except in extraordinary circumstances. The memo applies to pending and new Form I-485 filings. Meeting the legal requirements is now treated as the minimum: officers weigh your whole record, including whether you used your visa for its stated purpose. Legal challenges were expected, so check the current position before you file.

Public charge. A new public charge rule took effect on September 18, 2026. It replaces the 2022 rule with a broader "totality of the circumstances" test of whether you are likely to rely on government support.

A family of four applying as individuals would pay $60,000 in processing fees and $4 million in gifts. Figures are as of September 2026.

• The fee is not refundable. If you are denied, or you withdraw, you lose the $15,000 per person.
• Approvals have been rare so far. One approval out of 338 requests by April 2026 means most applicants were still waiting or were refused.
• You still have to be admissible. Past visa violations, criminal history, or security concerns can lead to refusal regardless of the gift.
• Timing depends on factors outside the program, including the Visa Bulletin, the consular interview freeze, and any travel ban that applies to your nationality.
• Scams. Only trumpcard.gov and uscis.gov can accept applications. Read our guide to immigration scams.

See EB-5, the E-2 visa, and our E-2 vs EB-5 vs Gold Card comparison. Because the Gold Card rests on an executive order, future court rulings or policy changes could affect it. Consider advice from a licensed immigration lawyer before paying the non-refundable fee.