Trump launches $1m ‘gold card’ immigration visas

President Donald Trump on Wednesday launched a new “Gold Card” visa program that lets wealthy foreigners buy a fast-track to U.S. residency and eventual citizenship for a minimum of $1 million.

Trump announced the initiative on his Truth Social platform, calling it a “direct path to Citizenship for all qualified and vetted people” and saying it would help American companies “keep their invaluable Talent.”

The program, first floated in February and formalized through a September executive order, is aimed at high-net-worth individuals and executives who can show they will provide a “substantial benefit” to the United States, according to the official Gold Card website.

How the program works

Applicants pay a nonrefundable $15,000 processing fee up front, then $1 million upon approval. Companies sponsoring employees must pay $2 million. A higher-tier “Platinum” version offering tax advantages is expected soon for $5 million.

Unlike the existing EB-5 investor visa, which requires job-creating investments starting at $800,000, the Gold Card treats the payment as a direct contribution to the government. There is no cap on the number of cards that can be issued, and the administration promises processing in “record time.”

Trump has described the program as a bargain that will “sell like crazy” and create jobs.

Sharp criticism from Democrats

Democrats immediately blasted the plan as a pay-to-play scheme that favors the rich while the administration cracks down on nearly every other form of immigration.

“This is citizenship for sale,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said in a statement. “It tells the world that in Trump’s America, money buys everything — including a passport.”

Immigration advocates and some legal scholars also questioned whether the president has the authority to create a new visa category by executive action alone.

Contrasts with broader crackdown

The Gold Card rollout comes as the Trump administration intensifies enforcement across the board:

• Mass deportations have topped 2.5 million since January.
• A travel ban affecting 19 countries, mostly in Africa and the Middle East, remains in place.
• All asylum processing has been paused, and thousands of Biden-era approvals are under review.
• A new $100,000 fee for certain H-1B skilled-worker visa applications went into effect in September, though the White House later said it applies only to applicants currently abroad.

Additional measures include mandatory biometric collection for noncitizens starting Dec. 26 and a requirement that tourists from 42 Visa Waiver Program countries submit five years of social media history.

Economic arguments and global context

Supporters say the program will pour billions directly into federal coffers without the administrative complexity of the EB-5 program. They point to similar “golden visa” schemes in Portugal, Spain and the United Arab Emirates that have attracted wealthy investors.

Critics counter that prioritizing cash over talent could hurt U.S. innovation at a time when tech companies already complain of visa shortages.

Online reaction was swift Wednesday, with thousands of users on X and other platforms debating whether the Gold Card amounts to “selling American citizenship” or simply a pragmatic revenue tool.

Applications opened immediately after Trump’s announcement. The White House has not said how many cards it expects to issue in the first year.

Agencies