United States residence and citizenship
The lowest comparable cited investment amount on file for a residence route in the United States is $800,000, for the US EB-5 Immigrant Investor. Ordinary naturalisation in the United States needs 5 years of legal residence.
Checked — Sources last checked 9 November 2026 by the automated residence and citizenship review.
Residence routes in the United States
Investment, own-income, remote-work and permanent routes. Scroll across the table to see every column.
| Route | Kind | Minimum | Processing | To citizenship |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trump Gold Card — individual | Residence by investment | $1,000,000 | — | 5 years |
| Trump Corporate Gold Card — sponsored employee | Residence by investment | $2,000,000 | — | 5 years |
| US EB-5 Immigrant Investor | Investor | $800,000 | — | 5 years |
| US E-2 Treaty Investor | Investor | — | 3–6 months | — |
| US EB-1A Extraordinary Ability (self petition) | Permanent residence | — | — | 5 years |
| US EB-2 National Interest Waiver (self petition) | Permanent residence | — | — | 5 years |
| US EB-1C Multinational Manager or Executive | Permanent residence | — | — | 5 years |
| US EB-2 Employer-Sponsored Professional or Exceptional Ability | Permanent residence | — | — | 5 years |
| US EB-3 Employer-Sponsored Worker | Permanent residence | — | — | 5 years |
"Minimum" is a cited investment threshold in its stated currency. A USD figure appears only when a supported conversion is on file; "—" means no supported amount is on file, not that it is free. "To citizenship" counts the years of residence before a naturalisation application. A zero-year entry states no residence wait; citizenship still needs a separate decision.
Work, family, study and other routes (5)
| Route | Kind | Minimum | Processing | To citizenship |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US E-1 Treaty Trader | Work | — | — | — |
| US L-1 Intracompany Transfer | Work | — | — | — |
| US O-1 Extraordinary Ability or Achievement | Work | — | — | — |
| US H-1B Specialty Occupation | Work | — | — | — |
| US Family-Sponsored Immigrant Visa | Family | — | — | 5 years |
Each route's conditions and sources
Trump Gold Card — individual
Not for US citizens.
Foreign individual eligible for LPR status, admissible, and with an available EB-1/EB-2 visa. The USD 1,000,000 gift and nonrefundable USD 15,000 DHS processing fee exclude possible State Department and family charges. USD amounts need no conversion (1:1). No annual renewal fee is stated. Citizenship may be applied for after five years of LPR status, subject to other naturalization rules. Excluded_groups US follows the official rule that citizens cannot obtain US visas.
Sources: Trump Gold Card programme and eligibility (US Department of Commerce / DHS), Naturalization residence and physical presence (US Citizenship and Immigration Services), US citizens and visas (US Department of State)
Trump Corporate Gold Card — sponsored employee
Not for US citizens.
Corporate sponsor pays a USD 2,000,000 gift and USD 15,000 DHS processing fee per qualifying employee; State Department and family charges may add costs. USD amounts need no conversion (1:1). Employee must qualify for LPR status and visa availability. Citizenship application normally follows five years as an LPR. Excluded_groups US follows the official rule that citizens cannot obtain US visas.
Sources: Trump Gold Card programme and eligibility (US Department of Commerce / DHS), Naturalization residence and physical presence (US Citizenship and Immigration Services), US citizens and visas (US Department of State)
US EB-5 Immigrant Investor
Not for US citizens.
Federal EB-5 route for foreign investors; US citizens are excluded because they cannot receive a US visa. $800,000 USD applies only to a qualifying targeted employment area or infrastructure project; standard minimum is $1,050,000 USD. Both figures are already in USD, rate 1:1. Investment must create at least ten full-time US jobs. Conditional LPR status starts the five-year naturalization clock, subject to federal residence rules. No single current total application fee or reliable processing bound is established by the cited sources; renewal amount is also unstated. As of 9 November 2026 the I-526 or initial I-526E petition filing fee is USD 3,675; separate integrity, adjustment or consular charges are excluded. Fragomen reports higher petition fees effective 30 November 2026.
Sources: EB-5 investor and green card requirements (US Citizenship and Immigration Services), Naturalization residence and physical presence (US Citizenship and Immigration Services), US citizens and visas (US Department of State), US investor visas and citizenship (Global Citizen Solutions, summary), EB-5 petition fee before 30 November 2026 (Fragomen, summary)
US E-2 Treaty Investor
Not for US citizens.
Treaty-country nationals who develop and direct an active US enterprise may use E-2. US citizens are excluded. GCS estimates 3–6 months for regular consular or USCIS change-of-status processing; this is a route estimate, not a guarantee or a premium processing time. A single total application or renewal fee is not established.
Sources: Treaty investor visa requirements (US Department of State), US citizens and visas (US Department of State), E-2 regular processing estimates (Global Citizen Solutions, summary)
US EB-1A Extraordinary Ability (self petition)
Not for US citizens.
Foreign applicants with documented sustained acclaim in science, arts, education, business or athletics can self petition without a job offer. No prescribed investment is stated. Five years is measured from LPR status, not filing. US citizens are excluded; the official summary establishes no single total fee, renewal amount, or end-to-end processing time.
Sources: Employment-based immigrant visa categories (US Department of State), US citizens and visas (US Department of State), Naturalization residence and physical presence (US Citizenship and Immigration Services)
US EB-2 National Interest Waiver (self petition)
Not for US citizens.
Foreign advanced-degree professionals or people of exceptional ability may self petition if a national interest waiver is granted. No prescribed investment is stated. Five years is measured from LPR status, not filing. US citizens are excluded; the official summary establishes no single total fee, renewal amount, or end-to-end processing time.
Sources: Employment-based immigrant visa categories (US Department of State), US citizens and visas (US Department of State), Naturalization residence and physical presence (US Citizenship and Immigration Services)
US EB-1C Multinational Manager or Executive
Not for US citizens.
Employer sponsored immigrant route for qualifying managers or executives employed by a related foreign company for at least one of the preceding three years. No prescribed investment is stated. Five years is measured from LPR status. US citizens are excluded; no single total fee, renewal amount, or end-to-end processing time is established.
Sources: Employment-based immigrant visa categories (US Department of State), US citizens and visas (US Department of State), Naturalization residence and physical presence (US Citizenship and Immigration Services)
US EB-2 Employer-Sponsored Professional or Exceptional Ability
Not for US citizens.
For a qualifying foreign advanced-degree professional or person of exceptional ability with an employer petition; labor certification and a job offer generally apply unless waived. No prescribed investment is stated. The five years to naturalization start at LPR status. US citizens are excluded; no single total fee, renewal amount or end-to-end processing time is established.
Sources: Employment second preference (US Department of State), US citizens and visas (US Department of State), Naturalization residence and physical presence (US Citizenship and Immigration Services)
US EB-3 Employer-Sponsored Worker
Not for US citizens.
For a foreign skilled worker or professional with an employer petition and generally labor certification. No prescribed investment is stated. The five years to naturalization start at LPR status. US citizens are excluded; no single total fee, renewal amount or end-to-end processing time is established.
Sources: Employment-based immigrant visa categories (US Department of State), US citizens and visas (US Department of State), Naturalization residence and physical presence (US Citizenship and Immigration Services)
US E-1 Treaty Trader
Not for US citizens.
Treaty-country nationals conducting substantial continuing trade principally between the US and treaty country may qualify. No fixed investment amount is prescribed; the route requires trade rather than a capital investment. US citizens are excluded; no single total application or renewal fee or reliable end-to-end processing time is stated.
Sources: Treaty trader visa requirements (US Department of State), US citizens and visas (US Department of State)
US L-1 Intracompany Transfer
Not for US citizens.
For a foreign manager, executive or specialist transferred by a related employer after one year of employment abroad within the preceding three. It is temporary; an immigrant route must separately establish LPR status before the five-year naturalization clock begins. No prescribed investment, single total fee, renewal amount or end-to-end processing time is stated. US citizens are excluded.
Sources: Temporary worker visa categories (US Department of State), US citizens and visas (US Department of State)
US O-1 Extraordinary Ability or Achievement
Not for US citizens.
For foreign nationals with extraordinary ability or achievement in the specified fields. It is temporary; an immigrant route must separately establish LPR status before the five-year naturalization clock begins. No prescribed investment, single total fee, renewal amount or end-to-end processing time is stated. US citizens are excluded.
Sources: Temporary worker visa categories (US Department of State), US citizens and visas (US Department of State)
US H-1B Specialty Occupation
Not for US citizens.
Employer petition for a qualifying foreign specialty-occupation worker. It is temporary; an immigrant route must separately establish LPR status before the five-year naturalization clock begins. No prescribed investment, single total fee, renewal amount or end-to-end processing time is stated. US citizens are excluded.
Sources: Temporary worker visa categories (US Department of State), US citizens and visas (US Department of State)
US Family-Sponsored Immigrant Visa
Not for US citizens.
A qualifying foreign family member sponsored by a US citizen or lawful permanent resident can seek an immigrant visa. Immediate-relative and family-preference categories differ; visa availability can delay the latter. No prescribed investment is stated. The general five-year naturalization clock starts at LPR status; other eligibility rules may change it. US citizens are excluded; no single total fee, renewal amount or end-to-end processing time is established.
Sources: Family immigrant visas (US Department of State), US citizens and visas (US Department of State), Naturalization residence and physical presence (US Citizenship and Immigration Services)
Citizenship in the United States
- Years of residence before naturalisation: 5 years
- Years before permanent residence: not stated
- Dual citizenship allowed: Yes
- Language: Basic English reading, writing and speaking, subject to age, residence and medical exceptions
- Residence and presence: Usually 30 months (913 days) in the US during 5 years of continuous LPR residence, plus 3 months in the USCIS district before filing
The ordinary route is an application after five years of continuous lawful permanent residence, including conditional residence where applicable; grant is subject to all other requirements. There is no universal wait to permanent residence: immigrant categories can confer it on admission or adjustment, subject to petition and visa availability. Dual nationality is permitted under US law, subject to the other country’s law. The US has no direct citizenship-by-investment or donation programme; EB-5 buys eligibility for an immigrant residence route, not citizenship. All CBI amounts and processing are inapplicable.
What is the cheapest residence visa in the United States?
The lowest comparable cited investment amount on file for a residence route in the United States is $800,000, for the US EB-5 Immigrant Investor.
How many years to citizenship in the United States?
Ordinary naturalisation in the United States needs 5 years of legal residence. Usually 30 months (913 days) in the US during 5 years of continuous LPR residence, plus 3 months in the USCIS district before filing.
Does the United States allow dual citizenship?
Yes. The United States lets a new citizen keep another nationality, subject to the other country's rules.
Tax and residence days
A residence permit and tax residence are different tests. See the United States tax rates, count your days with the United States day test and see what changed in the data, day by day.
Sources
The United States profile cites 15 sources, 12 of them from a government or a statute. Data as of 2026-Q4.
- US citizens and visas · US Department of State, official, read 9 November 2026
- EB-5 investor and green card requirements · US Citizenship and Immigration Services, official, read 9 November 2026
- Naturalization residence and physical presence · US Citizenship and Immigration Services, official, read 9 November 2026
- US naturalization English requirement · US Citizenship and Immigration Services, official, read 9 November 2026
- US dual nationality · US Department of State, official, read 9 November 2026
- Treaty investor visa requirements · US Department of State, official, read 9 November 2026
- Treaty trader visa requirements · US Department of State, official, read 9 November 2026
- Employment-based immigrant visa categories · US Department of State, official, read 9 November 2026
- Employment second preference · US Department of State, official, read 9 November 2026
- Family immigrant visas · US Department of State, official, read 9 November 2026
- Temporary worker visa categories · US Department of State, official, read 9 November 2026
- Trump Gold Card programme and eligibility · US Department of Commerce / DHS, official, read 9 November 2026
- US investor visas and citizenship · Global Citizen Solutions, summary, read 9 November 2026
- E-2 regular processing estimates · Global Citizen Solutions, summary, read 9 November 2026
- EB-5 petition fee before 30 November 2026 · Fragomen, summary, read 9 November 2026
Rules, fees and minimums change, and many routes have conditions not shown here. Did you find an error? Tell us, with the source.
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