The president believes the US could flog thousands of these new visas, while even saying suggesting Russian oligarchs are welcome
As President Donald Trump cracks down on illegal immigrants residing in the US, he’s offering migrants with enough money the opportunity to fast-track US citizenship.
Trump Unveils Controversial ‘Gold Card’ Visa for Wealthy Immigrants
In a bold move, former President Donald Trump has announced plans for a $5 million ‘Gold Card’ visa, offering deep-pocketed immigrants the chance to legally live and work in the U.S.—with exclusive privileges beyond a traditional green card. Trump, now 78, described it as “green card privileges plus,” hinting that the program could be launched within weeks.
During the first Cabinet meeting of his second term, Trump doubled down on the initiative, expressing confidence in its success.
“I happen to think it’ll sell like crazy. It’s a market. But we’ll know very soon,” he declared.
Trump even floated the staggering potential revenue from the plan:
“If we sell a million, that’s $5 trillion. I think we will sell a lot because there’s really a thirst.”
A Replacement for the EB-5 Visa?
U.S. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick, who dubbed the initiative the ‘Trump Gold Card,’ criticized the existing EB-5 visa—a program requiring foreign investors to pour around $1 million into a U.S. company while paying a $20,000 application fee—calling it “full of nonsense and make-believe fraud.”
Trump confirmed that the EB-5 program would be scrapped in favor of his Gold Card visa, stating:
“We’re going to end the EB-5 program and replace it with the Trump Gold Card.”
Lutnick teased an unprecedented ‘route to citizenship’, saying, “They’ll be wealthy, successful, and spending a lot of money—paying taxes and employing a lot of people. We think it’s going to be extremely successful.”
No Congressional Approval Needed?
Trump also claimed the program could bypass Congress, emphasizing:
“We don’t need Congress … It’s a strong path to citizenship, but we’re not doing citizenship. For that, I’d have to get Congress.”
Open to Russian Oligarchs?
The ‘Gold Card’ visa would be open to foreign investors worldwide, including Russian business elites and oligarchs, as long as they can afford the $5 million buy-in.
“I know some Russian oligarchs that are very nice people,” Trump added. “They’re not quite as wealthy as they used to be.”
With its potential for enormous revenue—and equally significant controversy—the Trump Gold Card is already sparking heated debate over whether U.S. residency should be up for sale.
