Trump Plans to Cancel EB-5, Replace with $5 Million 'Gold Card'? Last Chance for EB-5!

On February 25 local time, U.S. President Trump announced the launch of a new immigration plan called the 'Gold Card'. This plan will provide foreign investors with a direct path to U.S. citizenship for a fee of $5 million. Trump stated that this project, known as the 'Gold Card', will be launched in two weeks, causing a huge stir in the immigration and investment sectors.

"We will sell a Gold Card. You have a Green Card. This is a Gold Card. We will price this card at about $5 million, which will grant you Green Card privileges, and it is also a path to citizenship. The wealthy will enter our country by purchasing this card. They will become wealthy, they will succeed, they will spend a lot of money, pay a lot of taxes, hire many people, and we think it will be very successful," Trump said.

Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick told reporters in the Oval Office that the Trump administration will terminate the existing EB-5 visa program, while President Trump declared that the new visa will promote economic development.

With the Trump administration announcing the imminent launch of the new 'Gold Card' investment immigration plan, the future of the EB-5 investment immigration program has become uncertain. This 'Gold Card' plan requires investors to directly pay $5 million to the U.S. government to obtain residency similar to a Green Card and possibly eventually citizenship. However, this change means that the EB-5 investment immigration may be canceled, and whether investors already participating in the EB-5 program can continue to enjoy existing policies has become the most concerning issue for investors.

EB-5 Immigration May Be Canceled, Existing Investors May Be Protected by 'Grandfather Clause'

As everyone knows, the current EB-5 program was reauthorized in 2022, and according to the 2022 EB-5 Reform Act, EB-5 has been explicitly written into law, with a 'Grandfather Clause' protecting all EB-5 applications submitted before September 30, 2026, from future legal and policy changes. This means that EB-5 applications submitted before legal changes are still protected, and investors can still complete the immigration process according to the original policy.

Why Is Now the Best Time to Submit an EB-5 Application?

● Grandfather Clause Protection: For clients who have already invested and submitted an EB-5 application, their Green Card application should be legally protected to avoid being affected by future policy changes.

● Increased Uncertainty of Future Policies: If EB-5 is terminated, the threshold for future investment immigration will be significantly higher, such as the 'Gold Card' program directly requiring a $5 million payment instead of obtaining a Green Card through job creation.

● Policy Change Window Closing Soon: The Trump administration plans to launch the new policy in two weeks, so for investors intending to immigrate through EB-5, now may be the last chance.

How Should Investors Act?

For investors still considering immigrating to the U.S., now is the critical moment to submit an EB-5 application. Due to the existence of the Grandfather Clause, submitted applications can still be processed according to current regulations, unaffected by future policies. Therefore:

• Clients who have completed investments: Ensure all documents are complete and submit the application as soon as possible to ensure rights are not affected by the new policy.

• Clients considering: Based on the current rules of the EB-5 program and the protection of the Grandfather Clause, applications should be submitted as soon as possible to avoid future uncertainties.

Key Differences Between 'Gold Card' and EB-5 Immigration

The Trump administration's new policy indicates that U.S. investment immigration policy is undergoing significant changes. Compared to EB-5, the newly introduced 'Gold Card' program has a higher threshold, and specific details are not yet clear. For those intending to immigrate to the U.S. through investment, now may be the last chance to submit an EB-5 application to ensure protection under current policies. As time goes on, this window may close quickly, and seizing the opportunity is crucial, submitting early may be the best choice.