An exclusive interview by www.IMGlobalWealth.com
Following IMGW News’s coverage of President Trump’s much-publicised “Gold Card”, a cash-for-residency option, attention has turned to the established EB-5 programme. While global media often frame Trump’s policies as anti-immigration, the reality in the EB-5 market may be very different. To explore this dynamic, Ray de Bono spoke with Abteen Vaziri, President of Uptown Companies and former board member of IIUSA (Invest in the USA), the national non-profit association for the EB-5 Regional Centre Programme, which promotes US economic growth and job creation through foreign investment.
“Why would you want to pay 8 million dollars for the Gold Card for every member of the family when you can invest 800,000 dollars in EB-5 and get that investment back?”
🎤 Ray de Bono: Is the EB-5 programme slowing down or dead since Trump took over?
💬 Abteen Vaziri:
When it comes to EB-5 specifically, the programme has been booming since the announcement of the T Gold Card. Based our firm’s experience, many regional centres with rural projects have sold out its slots. Non-rural projects are also selling quickly, though not as fast as rural. We do not yet have all the statistics from USCIS, as their data is usually a couple of quarters behind. But from being in the market, I can tell you that the last two quarters have probably been the strongest since EB-5 started slowing down in 2017.
🎤 Ray de Bono: So EB-5 is hot?
💬 Abteen Vaziri: EB-5 is red hot.
🎤 Ray de Bono: What about the Gold Card?
💬 Abteen Vaziri: This week an executive order establishing the Gold and Platinum Cards was issued.
🎤 Ray de Bono: Is it real?
💬 Abteen Vaziri: I will give you my personal opinion. I think the Gold Card is made up.
🎤 Ray de Bono: What do you mean?
💬 Abteen Vaziri: The Gold Card has been the best sales tool for EB-5, maybe ever.
🎤 Ray de Bono: So do the Gold and Platinum Cards exist today?
💬 Abteen Vaziri: An executive order establishing $1 million for aliens wanting a green card and $2 million for companies wanting to sponsor an employee has been issued. These are part of the Platinum Card concept. The Platinum Card is supposed to be 5 million dollars. Both are fees paid to the US Treasury that the applicant does not get back. There is no clarity on whether family members qualify. There is no clarity about tax benefits. There has been no congressional approval to allocate visas. And there is no clarity about when Congress might amend the tax code to give tax benefits for the Gold Card, which cannot be issued through executive order. It requires Congress to amend the US Tax Code. All of this could take years to accomplish.
Meanwhile, today, investors can apply for the EB-5 programme with an investment of 800,000 dollars. The entire family, spouse and all unmarried children under 21 may qualify. Let us say a family of four from India wishes to seek US residency. The (EB-5) investment is 800,000 dollars; the entire family may get green cards and may get their 800,000-dollar investment back. Why would a payment of 8 million dollars for the Gold Card for the family of four be attractive when they could invest 800,000 dollars in EB-5 with the possibility of both green cards for the family and a return of the investment? Investors can do this today. They can also apply for advance parole and be in the US with work authorisation in in possibly as little as three to four months while the application is pending.
🎤 Ray de Bono: Why would anyone want the Gold Card?
💬 Abteen Vaziri: Let’s assume you are a CEO with USD 500 million in income generated outside the United States and wish to avoid paying taxes to the IRS on your worldwide earnings. If the Platinum Card programme is enacted and indeed offers tax benefits, it could prove attractive. However, for many investors, the EB-5 visa remains a robust and more affordable alternative.
Furthermore, as previously noted regarding the Gold Card proposal, several additional steps would be required before implementation — including Congressional approval to establish the programme and subsequent agency action to set up administrative frameworks and guidelines. The EB-5 visa and Green Card, by contrast, are already established under current law, following Congressional reauthorisation in 2022.
🎤 Ray de Bono: So you are seeing an increase in EB-5?
💬 Abteen Vaziri: Not just the number of applicants, but also more projects coming on board. EB-5 is quietly experiencing a renaissance that most of your readers outside the United States have no idea is happening. But let me tell you, it is happening
Conclusion by the IMGlobalWealth.com News Editor
The Gold and Platinum Cards may dominate headlines, but as Abteen Vaziri explains, they remain uncertain and dependent on congressional action. By contrast, EB-5 is a functioning, congressionally approved programme offering a direct path to US residency for investors and their families. For many, it represents not only better value but also a tested and reliable route. While Trump’s Gold Card may or may not ever materialise, its most significant effect so far has been to put EB-5 firmly back in the spotlight and, perhaps unexpectedly, to fuel its renaissance.
𝑨𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝑨𝒃𝒕𝒆𝒆𝒏 𝑽𝒂𝒛𝒊𝒓𝒊
Abteen Vaziri is the President of Uptown Companies and a well-known figure in the EB-5 investment migration industry. With a background in finance and law, his expertise spans real estate, investment management, and structured EB-5 opportunities. His journey began as a political refugee fleeing Iran as a child, an experience that deeply shaped his understanding of the immigrant journey.
He started his career in computer science before moving into investment management, where he gained extensive experience in hedge funds and real estate financing. Abteen is licensed to practise law in both Texas and New York and has played a crucial role in structuring some of the largest EB-5 projects, including the largest ever in Texas. His commitment to investor protection and regulatory compliance led him to align himself with a FINRA-regulated broker-dealer, subject to the rules of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) via its regulatory agency, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA).
A former board member of IIUSA (Invest in the USA), the national non-profit association for the EB-5 Regional Centre Programme, which promotes US economic growth and job creation through foreign investment, he has been a vocal advocate for immigrant representation and transparency in the sector. Fluent in Farsi, German, Mandarin and Spanish, he connects with clients across Canada, Asia, South America and the Middle East.
𝑭𝒐𝒍𝒍𝒐𝒘 𝑨𝒃𝒕𝒆𝒆𝒏 𝒐𝒏 𝑳𝒊𝒏𝒌𝒆𝒅𝑰𝒏 Here
