President Trump Proposes $5 Million ‘Gold Card’ Visa for Wealthy Immigrants
US President Donald Trump has announced plans to introduce a premium immigration pathway, dubbed the “gold card” visa, with a hefty price tag of $5 million. This new initiative is aimed at attracting more foreign investment into the United States.
The president revealed this on Tuesday during a press conference at the White House. He stressed that the gold card would offer green card privileges and a pathway to citizenship for wealthy individuals willing to pay the substantial fee.
Trump expressed optimism about the program’s potential, stating that it would likely result in significant foreign investment, increased tax revenues, and job creation. “They’re going to be spending a lot of money and paying a lot of taxes and employing a lot of people,” he predicted.
US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick confirmed these plans, indicating that the administration intends to replace the current EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program with the Trump Gold Card. He criticized the existing program as being “full of nonsense, make-believe, and fraud.” Lutnick assured that applicants for the new gold card would undergo thorough vetting.
The current EB-5 visa, established in 1990, offers residency to foreign investors who contribute a minimum of $1.05 million to a new commercial enterprise that creates jobs or invests $800,000 in targeted areas with high unemployment or rural regions. The Trump administration’s proposal significantly increases the investment threshold.
Since taking office on January 20, President Trump has signed several executive orders aiming to tighten immigration controls. These include enhancing visa applicant vetting, restricting birthright citizenship, deploying military forces to guard the southern border, and erecting additional barriers. He also rescinded numerous executive orders signed by his predecessor, Joe Biden, including five related to immigration.