IN THIS GUIDE · The Gold Card is not a work permit: what a L'Ancienne-Lorette software consultant must understand before paying anything
Start with the GOLD CARD eligibility and application overview
Restate the actual objective
Does he want to live permanently in the United States, or to work on site at clients for periods while remaining in Québec? Those are different objectives. The Gold Card framework, as officially described, addresses the first: permanent residence for an eligible applicant who completes the described process. A consultant who wants to keep his Québec base and visit clients is asking a business-visitor or temporary-work question that the gift cannot answer, and self-employment in the United States is barred under TN in any event.
Read the individual track's recorded terms
As recorded from the official FAQ on September 7, 2026, an individual principal's stated gift is US$1 million with a US$15,000 nonrefundable processing fee, and each included spouse or eligible unmarried child under 21 carries an additional US$15,000 fee and US$1 million gift. The process described is an application and fee, vetting, further USCIS instructions on forms and evidence, and then the gift once instructed. Those figures come from a dated source and must be reread on the day any decision is made.
Understand what remains to be proved
The applicant must still be eligible for permanent residence under an EB-1 or EB-2 classification as determined by the authorities, admissible under the ordinary grounds, and able to obtain a visa number under the Visa Bulletin. Vetting is part of the process. The gift is a step in the described sequence, not a purchase of an outcome, and the FAQ does not describe it as refundable if the outcome is unfavourable.
Keep the money on the right page
A gift to the U.S. government is not capital, produces no return and creates no claim on any enterprise; EB-5 capital is invested at risk and may be returned or lost. A consultant's business income, his clients' contracts and his Québec tax position are commercial and tax matters that need their own adviser. Nothing in the framework changes whether he may lawfully perform work in the United States today.
Follow the official payment sequence and individual amounts
If a private quote, current public terms and an official communication appear inconsistent, identify the exact issue and seek clarification through the appropriate channel. Before acting, confirm the recipient, amount, timing, and family member covered by the actual instruction; a payment decision and an immigration eligibility decision remain separate.
Sources reviewed 2026-09-07. This guide covers a preparation focus; it is not an individual eligibility assessment.