Trump's $1 Million "Gold Card" Program: A New Pathway to US Citizenship for Foreign Investors and Skilled Talent

President Donald Trump officially launched his anticipated "gold card" program on Wednesday, offering legal status and a citizenship pathway for individuals paying $1 million and corporations investing $2 million per foreign employee.

Applications began through a newly launched website as Trump unveiled the initiative in the White House's Roosevelt Room, surrounded by business leaders. This program replaces the existing EB-5 visa system, which Congress established in 1990 to stimulate foreign investment through approximately $1 million investments in companies employing at least 10 people.

Trump envisions this enhanced version as a strategy to attract and retain exceptional talent while generating revenue for the federal government. Having promoted the concept for months, Trump initially suggested a $5 million price tag before settling on the current $1-2 million structure.

The president stated that all program proceeds will "go to the US government" and predicted billions flowing into a Treasury Department account to fund "positive" national initiatives.

Despite its name, the program effectively functions as an enhanced green card offering permanent residency with a citizenship pathway. "Basically, it's a green card but much better," Trump explained. "Much more powerful, a much stronger path."

Trump did not address job creation requirements for corporate applicants or overall program caps that exist under the current EB-5 program. Instead, he highlighted feedback from business leaders frustrated by their inability to retain talented international graduates from American universities due to immigration restrictions.

"You can't hire people from the best colleges because you don't know whether or not you can keep the person," Trump noted.

While Trump has built his political identity around strict border enforcement and tough immigration policies, with his second administration launching mass deportation efforts targeting cities like Los Angeles and Charlotte, this program represents a different approach to immigration.

The initiative has drawn criticism from some supporters of his "Make America Great Again" movement who object to his repeated suggestions that skilled immigrants should be welcomed—something this gold card program facilitates.

Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick explained that the program includes a $15,000 vetting fee and emphasized a thorough background scrutiny process to "make sure these people absolutely qualify to be in America." Companies can obtain multiple cards but are limited to one individual per card.

Lutnick also noted that current green card holders typically earn less than average Americans, a trend Trump aims to reverse. "So, same visas, but now just full of the best people," Lutnick summarized.

Investor visa programs are common globally, with dozens of countries offering "golden visas" to wealthy individuals, including the United Kingdom, Spain, Greece, Malta, Australia, Canada, and Italy.

Trump expressed confidence that the program will attract "tremendous people" to the United States, specifically mentioning top graduates from Chinese, Indian, and French universities as potential gold card recipients.