Do I still need to prove the EB-1A criteria with a Gold Card?

Under the order the gift counts as evidence of EB-1 or EB-2 NIW eligibility. The petition still requires proof that the funds are lawful, and the NIW route needs an uncertified ETA-9089; security vetting is mandatory.

What does a Gold Card cost for a family of three?

For a self-petition: a $1 million gift and a $15,000 fee per person, so $3,045,000. The fee is not refunded on denial.

Can I get the Gold Card inside the US through I-485?

The I-140G instructions (edition 11/19/25) describe only the consular route: after approval, an immigrant visa at an embassy and entry as a resident.

Is the Gold Card the same as EB-5?

No. EB-5 is an investment in a business that creates jobs, while the Gold Card is an unrestricted gift to the government within EB-1 and EB-2. The order only asks agencies to consider extending the program to EB-5.

I-140G

Trump Gold Card (I-140G): the $1M gift, fee, how to apply

Updated: October 1, 2026Author: Alina Kanametova

Key answer

The Gold Card is a program under Executive Order 14351 of Sep 19, 2025: an unrestricted $1 million gift to the US Department of Commerce ($2 million from a company for an employee) counts as evidence of eligibility for an EB-1 or EB-2 NIW immigrant visa. The petition is Form I-140G, online only and only after registering at trumpcard.gov; the fee is $15,000 per person and is not refunded. The green card then comes through a consulate.

What the order says

Order 14351 directs the Department of Commerce, with State and DHS, to set up the Gold Card program. State and DHS are to treat a gift under 15 U.S.C. 1522 as evidence of eligibility under 8 U.S.C. 1153(b)(1)(A) (extraordinary ability, EB-1), of exceptional business ability and national benefit under 1153(b)(2)(A), and of eligibility for a national interest waiver under 1153(b)(2)(B). All of this is within the annual visa limits: the order creates no new green cards and cancels no existing categories.

How to file I-140G

First you register at trumpcard.gov and get confirmation your submission was accepted; then USCIS sends a notice to log in to an online account and upload I-140G - it is not accepted on paper. The petition is filed by the person or by a company on their behalf. You pick one of two classifications: EB-1 (extraordinary ability) or EB-2 with a national interest waiver; the second needs an uncertified Form ETA-9089. You must show you have enough lawfully obtained funds for the gift. USCIS may call you for biometrics or an interview; applicants abroad are sent to an embassy.

What it costs

The I-140G fee is $15,000 per person in the petition (the applicant, spouse, each child) and is not refunded whatever the decision. The gift for a self-petition is $1 million for each family member who gets a card; if a company files, $2 million for the principal and $1 million for each family member. For comparison: a regular EB-1A self-petition I-140 costs $715 on paper or $665 online plus a $300 Asylum Program Fee (G-1055, edition 09/09/26).

After approval - the consulate and the queue

Per the I-140G instructions, after approval, once a visa number is available in the chosen classification, you complete consular processing at a US embassy and enter as a resident; the instructions say nothing about adjusting status inside the US. The queue is shared: USCIS expressly points to the State Department visa bulletin, and the wait in EB-1 and EB-2 may differ. For Russian citizens the consular step also depends on the general immigrant visa situation - the status of the 75-country pause is on the court cases page.

The lawsuit against the program

The program is challenged in the US District Court for the District of Columbia: American Association of University Professors v. Department of Homeland Security, case 1:26-cv-00300, filed Feb 3, 2026 (court docket, checked Oct 1, 2026). The outcome may change the rules - check its status and the I-140G page on uscis.gov before filing.

What the community reports

The chats have 31 messages about the Gold Card (23 in 2025, 8 in 2026). On the day it was announced, Sep 20, 2025, retellings of the Commerce Secretary saying the card "will replace EB-1 and EB-2" spread; members answered by advising to read the order itself - it cancels no existing category. In December 2025 they noticed Form I-140G on uscis.gov. In 2026 they discussed a fear that talent petitions would be deprioritized, and in September retold a Reddit story: an applicant paid the fee for four people and has waited 8 months, with the $1 million not yet requested.

Check processing times in the USCIS processing times.

Sources

FAQ

Do I still need to prove the EB-1A criteria with a Gold Card?: Under the order the gift counts as evidence of EB-1 or EB-2 NIW eligibility. The petition still requires proof that the funds are lawful, and the NIW route needs an uncertified ETA-9089; security vetting is mandatory.
What does a Gold Card cost for a family of three?: For a self-petition: a $1 million gift and a $15,000 fee per person, so $3,045,000. The fee is not refunded on denial.
Can I get the Gold Card inside the US through I-485?: The I-140G instructions (edition 11/19/25) describe only the consular route: after approval, an immigrant visa at an embassy and entry as a resident.
Is the Gold Card the same as EB-5?: No. EB-5 is an investment in a business that creates jobs, while the Gold Card is an unrestricted gift to the government within EB-1 and EB-2. The order only asks agencies to consider extending the program to EB-5.

From community practice

Field chats advise gathering evidence for a specific criterion from the start, rather than bolting it onto the petition at the last moment.
The community reminds that the same piece of evidence cannot be counted under several criteria at once - the officer expects separate evidence for each.
Premium processing speeds up adjudication but does not raise the chance of approval - the community repeats this constantly: evidence quality decides, not speed.

Distilled from public community chats - observations, not legal advice.

From community discussions

«For the EB it's all the same as for the O-1, but with increased weight. For developers you need major projects where you were indispensable and can prove it; work at very large and well-known companies; talks at specialized conferences; judging at IT contests; several interviews about you in media at the RBC level; recommendation letters from weighty figures; a job offer in the US.»
Sergey · from public community chats
«The consul works by clear rules. His task is to prove to himself that you're an immigrant, and your task is the opposite: who beats whom. You either play this game by the rules or you don't. After all, it's you who needs the US, not the consul.»
Ruslan · from public community chats
«I'm not arguing here that he apparently checked it poorly, but when you buy a package service and not just a lawyer, you expect more. And why was he told to go for EB-2 NIW when he already came with a pretty good package for EB-1 (over 20 years working as a research scientist with a bunch of patents, awards) - he only needed to add media.»
Kate · from public community chats

Personal opinions of community members from public discussions, not legal advice.

More on the green-card path

The consular path (by city)

Reference information, not legal advice. Forms, eligibility and timing depend on your status - verify on uscis.gov.

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