President Donald Trump unveiled a signature initiative of his second term on Wednesday: the “gold card,” a new immigration visa offering permanent legal status in the United States and eventually citizenship in exchange for a minimum investment of $1 million per applicant. Companies seeking to sponsor foreign employees will be required to invest twice that amount.
The announcement, reported by The Associated Press, marks the formal rollout of a program Trump describes as “a revolution in merit-based immigration.”
A dedicated website launched immediately, allowing individuals and businesses to begin filing applications. Speaking from the Roosevelt Room alongside private-sector leaders, Trump portrayed the initiative as a major step intended to replace and surpass the EB-5 visa program, which since 1990 has allowed foreign investors to obtain residency by creating jobs in the United States.
A program designed to generate substantial revenue
For months, Trump teased the gold card launch, initially citing a $5 million price tag before settling on what he called a more “accessible” range of $1 to $2 million. He stated that every dollar collected will go directly to the U.S. Treasury.
According to Trump, the revenues will fund a federal program dedicated to investments that benefit the country.
“In reality, it’s a green card, but much better,” the president said. “Much more powerful, a much stronger pathway.” He argued that the system will help the United States attract and retain “exceptional talent.”
Unlike the EB-5 program, the gold card currently has no quotas and imposes no explicit job-creation requirements on sponsoring companies. Trump defended this design by noting that many business leaders report difficulty hiring top graduates from U.S. universities because those students often lack a reliable path to long-term legal status. “You can’t hire people from the best universities because you don’t know if you’ll be allowed to keep them,” he said.
Contrasts sharply with administration’s enforcement-focused approach
The gold card launch contrasts markedly with the strict immigration enforcement policies implemented during Trump’s second term. The past ten months have seen sweeping raids and escalated deportations, particularly in major cities such as Los Angeles and Charlotte, fundamentally reshaping U.S. immigration practices.
Nevertheless, Trump has repeatedly signaled willingness to welcome highly skilled workers—a position that has drawn criticism from within his own movement. Some supporters aligned with the “Make America Great Again” faction oppose any measure easing immigration pathways, even for top-tier professionals.
Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick outlined application requirements, noting that each submission will incur a $15,000 vetting fee. He stated that security screenings will be rigorous to “ensure that these individuals fully meet the standards for living in America.”
Lutnick clarified that while companies may receive multiple gold cards, each card must be assigned to a single employee.
He further framed the program as an economic correction, noting that green-card holders currently earn less on average than U.S.-born workers—a trend Trump aims to reverse. “The same visas, but now filled with the best profiles,” Lutnick said.
A model following global precedent
Investment-based visa programs already exist in several countries, including the United Kingdom, Spain, Greece, Malta, Canada, Italy, and Australia. These pathways are routinely sought by investors seeking flexible residency options.
Trump presented the gold card as a mechanism to attract individuals capable of contributing to the U.S. economy immediately.
“We’re bringing into the country someone great, because we believe these will be extraordinary people,” he said, citing top graduates from China, India, and France as particular targets. “Businesses will be very pleased,” he added.
