Overview

• The administration’s executive order announced on September 19 created an expedited permanent residency pathway now priced at $1 million for individuals, with a $2 million Corporate Gold Card per employee and a $5 million Platinum option.
• Applicants must make an unrestricted financial gift to the Commerce Department, pay a nonrefundable administrative fee, clear security vetting, and, if approved, receive lawful permanent resident status under EB-1 or EB-2 as determined by DHS.
• Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick told allies the government is considering suspending other green-card categories so the Gold Card would be the sole path to permanent residency, according to reporting cited by Forbes.
• Multiple legal and immigration experts say the program cannot replace existing pathways without legislation and would face inevitable court challenges.
• Industry figures criticized the steep price cut as a sign of weak demand and warned the plan could siphon capital from the EB-5 investor program, which channels funds into projects tied to job creation.