IN THIS GUIDE · Understand what permanent residence obliges before buying a Gold Card as an option you may never use
Start with the GOLD CARD eligibility and application overview
The official framework in brief
The government's program page describes an individual applicant paying a US$15,000 nonrefundable processing fee, undergoing vetting, and making a US$1 million gift to the U.S. government, with each eligible joining spouse or child adding the same fee and a further US$1 million gift; corporate sponsorship carries different figures. The case then proceeds under EB-1 or EB-2, whose eligibility rules are unchanged. The Gold Card is not a visa category of its own, and the gift is not an investment: it creates no jobs, returns nothing and has no connection to EB-5. The page describes its terms as subject to change and they should be re-read before any payment.
What a permanent resident is expected to do
Lawful permanent residence is granted to people who intend to reside permanently in the United States. A resident who lives mainly in Canada, returns to the United States for short visits and keeps home, business and family in Saskatchewan risks a finding at the border that he has abandoned the status. A permanent resident card generally is not valid for re-entry after an absence of one year or more without a re-entry permit or returning-resident visa, and even shorter absences can support an abandonment finding when the pattern shows residence elsewhere. A re-entry permit obtained before departure allows longer absences for a defined period but does not remove the need to intend U.S. residence. The card cannot be held in reserve the way a passport can.
Tax residence follows immigration residence
A permanent resident is treated as a U.S. tax resident from the date residence begins, reportable on worldwide income including the Canadian distributor's earnings, with foreign-account and foreign-corporation reporting that carries significant penalties for omission. The Canada-U.S. tax treaty allocates taxing rights but does not eliminate the filing. A resident who later gives up the status after holding it long enough may face exit-tax rules. None of this is immigration law, and all of it needs a cross-border tax adviser before the fee is paid, because the gift is irreversible and the tax consequences arrive whether or not he ever moves.
If the answer is still yes
Confirm which category he would use, since EB-1 and EB-2 have their own criteria; a business owner may fit EB-2 through an advanced degree or exceptional ability in business, but that is a showing, not a purchase. Decide who in the family will apply, since each is priced separately and children age out at 21. Fix a genuine plan for U.S. residence, including where the family will live and how the Saskatchewan business will be managed. Read the current official FAQ on the day of each payment. Keep the dated printout with the file, because the terms have changed before.
Sources reviewed 2026-09-07. This guide covers a preparation focus; it is not an individual eligibility assessment.