Trump Gold Card gives millionaires new route to the US | US | News
President Donald Trump announced the official launch of his long-promised “gold card” program; This program offers legal status and a path to U.S. citizenship to companies that pay $2 million per foreign-born employee and individuals willing to pay $1 million.
The program will replace existing EB-5 visas, according to news outlet NDTV, and went live on Wednesday as Trump announced the details surrounded by business leaders in the White House’s Roosevelt Room.
The president sees the new version of the visa as a tool for the United States to attract and retain top talent while also bringing significant revenue to the country.
Trump has been promoting the gold card program for months, initially proposing a $5 million price tag, then revising it to the current $1 million and $2 million pricing plan.
He noted that all funds raised through the program “will go to the U.S. government,” predicting that billions of dollars will flow into the Treasury Department account “where we can do positive things for the country.”
Trump: Much stronger than green card
Although called a “gold card,” the program effectively offers a green card that grants permanent legal residence with the opportunity for citizenship. Introducing the program, Trump said, “Basically, it’s a green card, but it’s much better. It’s a much stronger, much stronger path.”
The President did not mention job creation requirements or general caps for applying to companies in the program currently available under the EB-5 visa.
Instead, he focused on complaints from business leaders who were unable to hire elite graduates from U.S. universities because they were foreign nationals and did not have permission to remain in the country. “You can’t hire people from top universities because you don’t know if you’ll be able to keep that person,” Trump said.
Despite building his political career around strict immigration policies and border security, Trump has faced criticism from leading voices in the “Make America Great Again” movement for suggesting that skilled immigrants should be allowed into the United States.
A gold card program could make that easier, potentially running afoul of his administration’s recent mass deportation crackdown and sweeping immigration crackdown targeting cities like Los Angeles and Charlotte.
Comprehensive review process and earning potential highlighted
Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick has assured that the program will include a $15,000 fee to vet applicants and that the detailed background check process will “make sure that these individuals are absolutely qualified to be in America.”
He also noted that current green card holders earn less than the average American; This is something Trump aims to change with his gold card program. “So the visas are the same, but now they are filled with only the best people,” Lutnick said.
Trump’s gold card program joins “golden visas” offered to wealthy individuals by dozens of countries around the world, including the United Kingdom, Spain, Greece, Malta, Australia, Canada and Italy.
The president emphasized that the program means the United States will “bring someone great to our country because we think they will be great people” and has identified top U.S. college graduates from China, India and France as potential gold card recipients.
Millionaires and billionaires are among those saying goodbye to England
Since Chancellor Rachel Reeves unveiled her budget full of eye-watering hidden taxes, rumors of an exodus of Britain’s young, rich and mobile population have become more intense. Latest immigration figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) have confirmed this worrying trend, revealing that 257,000 Britons have decided we “can’t stand it” and have chosen to leave the country in search of greener pastures.
It is estimated that around 16,500 of the Britons who left were millionaires or even billionaires; This represents a significant loss of wealth and potential investment for the country. The migration of these high-net-worth individuals has raised concerns about the long-term economic impact on the UK; because their departure could lead to a decrease in tax revenues and a brain drain of talented entrepreneurs and professionals.
