Macdonald guide: test the immigration promises in a funding proposal

Read the general immigrant investor briefing overview

THE SHORT ANSWER

Compare an EB-5 offering and a Gold Card funding commitment by identifying which statements concern money and which concern a government decision. Neither private agreement can guarantee the individual immigration outcome.

Read the EB-5 risk and job claims together

Hypothetical example: an offering projects both capital return and job creation by a target date. Review lawful source and path, actual capital at risk and the applicable qualifying-job method, requiring at least ten qualifying full-time jobs per investor. A forecast is not a guaranteed return or a substitute for the project’s relevant evidence.

Use the official gift terms instead of a private guarantee

Gold Card involves a government gift after successful vetting and official instructions, with EB-1 or EB-2 eligibility, admissibility and visa availability remaining relevant. It is not an EB-5 enterprise asset with commercial returns. Identify the actual individual or corporate principal and eligible family members rather than relying on a general household promise.

Keep later conditions visible

A project exit does not replace EB-5 residence and removal-of-conditions requirements. Corporate Gold Card maintenance and transfer-related provisions are conditional rather than automatic employee-substitution rights. Compare actual obligations and unresolved individual eligibility without treating a sponsor’s funding deadline as the date residence begins.

Match each immigration promise to an actual decision record

Highlight any sentence promising residence when money is paid or a contract is signed. EB-5 currently needs US$1,050,000, or US$800,000 for qualifying targeted employment area or infrastructure projects; petition-date statutory adjustments start January 1, 2027. Ten qualifying permanent full-time jobs per investor under the actual method remain necessary regardless of a promised result. Conditional residence starts through immigrant admission or adjustment approval, not the private promise. Use that start for the usual I-829 filing window during the 90 days before its second anniversary. Gold Card separates a nonrefundable US$15,000 per-person fee from the government gift after successful vetting and instructions: US$1,000,000 individually or US$2,000,000 for each sponsored employee. An eligible joining spouse or unmarried child under 21 adds US$15,000 and US$1,000,000. Verify corporate maintenance and transfer conditions rather than adopting a private guarantee. Contract wording cannot assure eligibility, admissibility, visa availability or the government’s timing.

KEEP EXPLORING

What else is on your mind?

Does an EB-5 immigration review tell me whether an investment is good?Is the Gold Card another name for EB-5?Should I assume one Gold Card payment covers my family?

SOURCE NOTES

Editorial source review: 2026-09-07. General preparation guidance, not an individual assessment.