For those interested on the process of applying for the gold card, I have an update. For context, I applied June 15, 2020. Then submitted my passport for approval July 16th, picked it up July 23rd. I still haven’t gotten my passport and I called and they said it’s still in the “passport verification” stage. The person also said that once this is done, the immigration office should email me to pick up the gold card within a few days.
This is tricky for me cause like most of us here on visa-exempt, I have to leave by early September. If they don’t finish it by then, it could be tricky to pick it up. Luckily I have relatives here so it might be possible to authorize them; cross that bridge if it comes to that.