United States · Permanent Residence
US Green Card Paths for Founders and Investors
A green card removes the time limits that come with parole, E-2 and O-1A status. Founders most often rely on the National Interest Waiver, investors on EB-5, and since 2025 a gift-based Gold Card process has been added alongside them.
- Startup route
- International Entrepreneur Parole
- Minimum capital
- USD 311,071 from qualified investors or USD 124,429 grants
- Permanent residence
- No direct route; needs NIW, EB-1A, EB-5 or Gold Card
- Citizenship
- 5 years as a permanent resident
EB-2 National Interest Waiver
Status: Subject to annual employment-based visa limits
The EB-2 category covers members of the professions holding an advanced degree or its equivalent and people with exceptional ability, shown by at least three of six listed criteria. A National Interest Waiver removes the usual job offer and labor certification, so a founder can file Form I-140 personally instead of relying on an employer. USCIS weighs three questions: whether the proposed endeavor has substantial merit and national importance, whether the founder is well positioned to advance it, and whether, on balance, waiving the job offer would benefit the United States. Spouses and unmarried children under 21 can follow as derivatives.
- Basis
- Advanced degree or exceptional ability
- Job offer
- Waived; self-petition allowed
- Form
- Form I-140
- Test
- Merit and importance, positioning, national benefit
- Family
- Spouse and unmarried children under 21
- Leads to
- Permanent residence (green card)
Requirements
- Hold an advanced degree or its equivalent, or meet at least three of the exceptional-ability criteria.
- Show the endeavor has substantial merit and national importance.
- Show you are well positioned to advance the endeavor.
- Show that, on balance, waiving the job offer and labor certification benefits the United States.
How to apply
- Document qualifications and define the proposed endeavor.
- File Form I-140 with the National Interest Waiver request.
- After approval and once a visa number is available, adjust status in the United States or process abroad.
- Include the spouse and children as derivative applicants.
EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program
Status: Regional center visas authorized through September 30, 2027
EB-5 grants conditional permanent residence to investors who place capital in a new commercial enterprise that creates full-time positions for at least 10 qualifying employees. For petitions filed on or after March 15, 2022, the minimum is USD 1,050,000, or USD 800,000 in a targeted employment area, which includes infrastructure projects. These amounts receive their first inflation adjustment for petitions filed on or after January 1, 2027. Investors can invest directly or through a regional center, where indirect jobs may cover up to 90% of the requirement. Set-aside visas reserve 20% for rural areas, 10% for high-unemployment areas and 2% for infrastructure.
- Standard minimum
- USD 1,050,000
- Reduced minimum
- USD 800,000 in a targeted employment area
- Jobs
- 10 full-time positions per investor
- Next adjustment
- Petitions filed on or after January 1, 2027
- Regional centers
- Authorized through September 30, 2027
- Conditional period
- 2 years; remove conditions with Form I-829
- Government fee
- Varies; see USCIS Form G-1055
Requirements
- Invest at least USD 1,050,000, or USD 800,000 in a targeted employment area or infrastructure project.
- Invest in a new commercial enterprise that will create at least 10 full-time jobs for qualifying employees.
- Document the lawful source of the invested funds.
- File Form I-829 during the 90 days before the second anniversary of conditional residence.
How to apply
- Choose a direct investment or a regional center project.
- File Form I-526 for a standalone investment or Form I-526E for a regional center project.
- Apply for conditional permanent residence, filing Form I-485 concurrently where eligible.
- File Form I-829 in the 90-day window to remove conditions.
Gold Card program (Form I-140G)
Status: Created by Executive Order 14351; USCIS says it will notify registrants when Form I-140G can be filed
Executive Order 14351 created the Gold Card, a green card process in which the applicant makes a gift to the United States rather than an investment. The official site describes a USD 1 million contribution for an individual, or USD 2 million per employee when a company sponsors, on top of a nonrefundable USD 15,000 processing fee per person. USCIS created Form I-140G, which classifies approved applicants under EB-1 extraordinary ability or the EB-2 National Interest Waiver, subject to visa availability. Filing is online only, after registration on trumpcard.gov is accepted, and the USCIS form page says registrants will be told when they can file. A Platinum Card is listed as not yet released.
- Legal basis
- Executive Order 14351
- Individual gift
- USD 1 million
- Corporate gift
- USD 2 million per employee
- Processing fee
- USD 15,000 per person, nonrefundable
- Category
- EB-1 or EB-2 NIW, subject to visa availability
- Filing
- Form I-140G online, after trumpcard.gov registration
Requirements
- Register on trumpcard.gov and receive confirmation that the submission was accepted.
- Pay the USD 15,000 processing fee for each person included in the petition.
- Pass background vetting before the gift becomes due.
- Make the USD 1 million individual gift, or USD 2 million per employee under corporate sponsorship.
How to apply
- Register on trumpcard.gov.
- File Form I-140G through a USCIS online account once notified.
- After approval and visa availability, complete consular processing with the State Department.
Timing, conditions and keeping the green card
An approved petition is only part of the process. Employment-based green cards are subject to annual numerical limits, so an approved petition may have to wait for a visa number before the final stage. EB-5 investors receive conditional residence for two years and must file Form I-829 during the 90 days before the card expires; missing the window without good cause leads USCIS to terminate the status. A Form G-1055 edition published on November 14, 2025 returned several EB-5 filing fees to the levels in force before April 1, 2024.
Holding a green card also means living in the United States. USCIS treats an absence of more than a year as a general guide that residence may have been abandoned, and shorter trips can raise the same question if the person did not intend to make the United States home. A reentry permit, requested before departure, supports longer absences but expires if the holder stays abroad for more than two years.
Questions and answers
What are the EB-5 investment amounts in 2026?
For petitions filed on or after March 15, 2022, the minimum is USD 1,050,000, or USD 800,000 in a targeted employment area or infrastructure project. USCIS states that the first inflation adjustment applies to petitions filed on or after January 1, 2027, so investors filing in 2026 still use these figures.
Is the Gold Card open for applications?
Registration runs through trumpcard.gov, and USCIS has published Form I-140G under Executive Order 14351. The USCIS form page says registrants will be notified when they can log in and file, so filing depends on that notice. Because the Gold Card sits inside the EB-1 and EB-2 categories, visa availability still applies.
Can a startup founder self-petition for a green card?
Yes, through the EB-2 National Interest Waiver. A founder with an advanced degree or exceptional ability files Form I-140 personally, without a job offer or labor certification, and must show the endeavor has national importance, that they are well positioned to advance it, and that waiving the usual requirements benefits the United States.
Does EB-5 lead straight to a full green card?
Not at first. EB-5 investors and their families receive conditional permanent residence for two years. During the 90 days before the card expires, the investor files Form I-829 to remove the conditions, showing that the investment was sustained and the jobs were created. If USCIS approves, the investor holds permanent residence without conditions.
Official sources
- Employment-Based Immigration: Second Preference EB-2www.uscis.gov
- About the EB-5 Visa Classificationwww.uscis.gov
- I-829, Petition by Investor to Remove Conditions on Permanent Resident Statuswww.uscis.gov
- I-140G, Immigrant Petition for the Gold Card Programwww.uscis.gov
- The Trump Gold Cardwww.trumpcard.gov
- International Travel as a Permanent Residentwww.uscis.gov
Reviewed October 2026. Immigration rules change often. Confirm the current requirements with the official authority or a licensed adviser before applying.
Your path in United States.
Startup visa
Entrepreneur parole, E-2 or O-1A; no visa is named a startup visa
02Temporary residence
Parole up to 5 years; E-2 in 2-year steps; O-1A up to 3 years
03Permanent residence
Green card via EB-2 NIW, EB-5 at USD 800,000 or more, or the Gold Card
04Citizenship
Naturalization after 5 years as a permanent resident, plus civics test