Fees and Costs

Applying for the Gold Card Citizenship Visa entails significant costs, far above typical visa applications. Below is a breakdown of the fees and expenses to anticipate:

• Investment Amount – $5,000,000: This is by far the largest cost. The core requirement is an investment (or donation) of $5 million USD to the United States in exchange for the visa​. This amount must be provided by the applicant from their own funds. Unlike other visas where fees are a few hundred dollars, here the “fee” is essentially the multi-million dollar investment itself. Importantly, this money is typically at risk or non-refundable. If structured as a donation to the government (as suggested), once you pay it, you should not expect to get it back – it’s the price for residency. This enormous cost means the Gold Card is only feasible for ultra-high-net-worth individuals. (By comparison, the EB-5 program required an investment of $800,000 (in a targeted area) or $1,000,000 in other areas​. The Gold Card’s $5M price is five to six times higher, hence the nickname “gold” card for its premium cost.)
• USCIS Filing Fees: In addition to the $5 million investment, there will be standard government filing fees for processing the application. These include:
  • The Immigrant Petition fee (for EB-5, the Form I-526 filing fee was around $3,675; a Gold Card petition would likely be in that range or slightly higher).
  • If adjusting status in the U.S., the Form I-485 fee (currently about $1,140 plus $85 biometrics fee per person). Family members each incur filing fees as well.
  • If doing consular processing, visa application fees (approximately $345 per person for immigrant visas) and a separate USCIS immigrant fee (~$220) to produce the Green Card.
  • It’s possible the new program will institute additional fees. For instance, the EB-5 program now has an “Integrity Fund” fee of $1,000 added to each investor petition to fund oversight​. The Gold Card could involve similar surcharges to support administration or fraud prevention.
• Legal and Administrative Costs: Most applicants will hire an immigration attorney and possibly financial advisors. Attorney fees for an investor Green Card case can range from $15,000 to $50,000 (or more), given the complexity and high stakes. Attorneys assist with preparing the petition, source-of-funds documentation, and compliance. Additionally, if using any investment platform or consultancy (common in investment migration), there might be professional service fees.
• Document Procurement and Translation: Gathering required documents can incur costs – e.g., paying for certified translations of documents not in English, obtaining official financial statements or audits, etc. These costs vary by person.
• Travel and Relocation Expenses: While not a fee to the program itself, applicants should budget for the cost of traveling to the U.S. (for interviews or after visa approval) and any moving expenses for themselves and family. This can include shipping of household goods, temporary accommodation, etc., which for global investors can be a substantial logistical cost.
• Opportunity Cost of Funds: Tying up $5 million in this program has an implicit financial cost – the investor foregoes other investments or interest they could earn on that money. If the funds are locked as a non-refundable contribution, that capital is effectively spent. Investors will weigh this cost against the value of U.S. residency/citizenship.

Summary of Costs: Primary cost: $5,000,000 investment. Additional government fees likely in the low thousands for processing, plus professional fees and personal expenses. Compared to any other immigration path, this is an extremely high-cost route – truly designed for the world’s wealthiest who highly value U.S. citizenship. The U.S. government’s rationale is that in exchange for the privilege, these individuals will “be spending a lot of money, paying taxes, and employing a lot of people” in America​, which they view as a net benefit to the country.