By Frank J Wenzel, Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant (RCIC, College ID R709441), Wenzel Immigration Consulting Inc., Vancouver, BC. Last reviewed: October 29, 2026.

This article is general information only. It is not legal advice, and no consultant-client relationship is created by reading it. It does not guarantee any immigration outcome, timeline, or result. Wenzel Immigration Consulting is not affiliated with the Government of Canada or the United States Government. Verify any immigration consultant, including this one, on the CICC public register: college-ic.ca/protecting-the-public/find-an-immigration-consultant.

I am licensed to advise on Canadian immigration only. The U.S. details below come from public U.S. government and law-firm sources so you can see the contrast. They are not advice on U.S. immigration. For U.S. matters, use the USCIS website or a U.S.-licensed immigration attorney.

Short answer

The U.S. Gold Card is a permanent residence route built around a very large financial gift to the U.S. government. Canada’s permanent residence programs are built on other things: skills, work experience, language ability, family relationships, or a nomination from a province. As of this writing, Canada has no federal program that grants permanent residence in exchange for a payment or a passive investment.

What the U.S. Gold Card asks for

According to the USCIS instructions for Form I-140G, the form used for the Gold Card program:

• For an individual filing on their own behalf, the required gift to the United States is $1 million for each person requesting a Gold Card, including the main applicant, a spouse and any children listed.
• If a corporation files for an individual, the required gift is $2 million for the main applicant and $1 million for each accompanying spouse or child.
• The USCIS filing fee is $15,000 per person and is not refunded.
• Law-firm summaries report that applicants must first register on the program’s website and receive confirmation, that the form is filed online only, and that the source of the funds must be documented.
• The Gold Card runs through existing employment-based immigrant categories rather than a brand-new visa type.

The program was reported as launched in December 2025, and USCIS is promoting it on its website this week. Because U.S. rules change, read the current USCIS pages before relying on any summary: USCIS instructions for Form I-140G.

Note on sources: the U.S. figures in this article (the USCIS instructions for Form I-140G.

million and $2 million gift amounts and the USCIS instructions for Form I-140G.

5,000 fee) come from the USCIS instructions for Form I-140G as reported in public summaries. They had not been checked against the live USCIS page on the date of review. U.S. rules and fees can change. Confirm current requirements with USCIS or a U.S.-licensed immigration attorney before relying on any figure here.

What Canada asks for instead

• Express Entry. The online system for several economic programs, such as the Federal Skilled Worker Program and the Federal Skilled Trades Program. Candidates are ranked by a points score that looks at factors such as age, education, language ability and work experience. New rules for Canadian work experience and job offers start on November 3: Express Entry changes on November 3.
• Provincial Nominee Programs. Provinces and territories nominate people who fit their local labour needs. Some have entrepreneur streams, which generally require you to actually run a business in that province, not just hold an investment.
• Family sponsorship. Canadian citizens and permanent residents can sponsor certain family members, such as a spouse or common-law partner, if they meet the program rules.
• Business immigration is narrower than it used to be. The federal passive-investor programs ended years ago. IRCC stopped accepting new Start-Up Visa applications at the end of 2025, with a narrow exception for people who already held a 2025 commitment from a designated organization, and it extended the pause on the Self-Employed Persons Program. IRCC said a new pilot for immigrant entrepreneurs would follow. See IRCC’s December 19, 2025 notice, and check IRCC for what is open today.

Some Canadian programs ask you to show settlement funds. That is proof you have enough money to support yourself after you arrive. It is not a payment to the government.

The two paths at a glance

	U.S. Gold Card	Canada’s main routes
Main idea	A very large financial gift plus a filing fee	Points, skills, work experience, family ties, or provincial nomination
Where the money goes	A gift to the U.S. government, plus a non-refundable fee	Government processing fees; some programs require proof of settlement funds you keep
Who decides	USCIS and other U.S. agencies	IRCC, and provinces for nominee programs
Official rules	USCIS website	IRCC website (canada.ca)

If you are comparing countries

Neither path is open to everyone, and neither is a shortcut around eligibility checks. If you are weighing a move to Canada, start with the pathways that fit your circumstances. My broader guide for Americans is here: Can Americans move to Canada in 2026?

Frequently asked questions

Can I buy Canadian permanent residence?

Not through a federal program as of this writing. Provincial entrepreneur streams exist, but they generally require running a business in the province. Rules change, so confirm the current programs on IRCC’s website.

Do you advise on the U.S. Gold Card?

No. I advise on Canadian immigration only. For the Gold Card, use the USCIS website or a U.S.-licensed immigration attorney.

Is a Canadian immigration consultant required to apply to Canada?

No. Anyone can apply on their own. Using a Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant (RCIC) means working with someone licensed and regulated by the College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants (CICC), who must follow its Code of Professional Conduct.

Talk through the Canadian side

If you want to understand which Canadian pathways might fit your own situation, you can book a consultation or contact the office. No outcome can be promised, and IRCC makes every decision.