The Trump administration on December 11, 2025 formally opened online applications for the so-called “Trump Gold Card,” an investor-style immigration pathway that promises permanent-residency privileges in as little as 90 days—provided applicants pay a US $15,000 filing fee and make a subsequent US $1 million “contribution” to the U.S. Treasury. Officials compare the card to a green card but insist it is “much more powerful,” with expedited work permission and a streamlined path to citizenship. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick told reporters that more than 10,000 would-be applicants had preregistered, projecting “billions of dollars” in revenue for federal coffers.
The launch marks the first time the United States has tethered permanent immigration benefits to a direct cash payment set by statute rather than private job-creation metrics such as those required under the EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program. Immigration attorneys note that EB-5’s US $800,000 minimum investment is tied to risk-laden commercial ventures, whereas the Gold Card’s “donation” is essentially a revenue-raising mechanism that bypasses job-creation rules. Critics argue the scheme commodifies U.S. residency and could violate the Immigration and Nationality Act’s equal-protection provisions by favoring the ultra-wealthy.
![Trump Administration Unveils $1 Million “Gold Card” for Fast-Track U.S. Residency]()
Prospective investors weighing the Gold Card against existing visa options can also tap VisaHQ for step-by-step guidance. Through its dedicated U.S. portal (https://www.visahq.com/united-states/), the service helps applicants assess eligibility, gather supporting documents, and track consular updates—whether they pursue the new program or a more conventional visa route.
From a corporate-mobility perspective, the administration is also dangling a “Corporate Gold Card” priced at US $2 million per employee—an amount that Fortune 500 mobility managers say could rival the cost of multi-year international assignments when taxes and benefits are included. Some human-resources leaders, however, see strategic potential: multinational clients could use the card to secure immediate work authorization for mission-critical executives who would otherwise be stuck in capped visa categories such as the H-1B.
Immigration-policy analysts warn that the Gold Card sits uneasily alongside Trump-era crackdowns on family and humanitarian immigration, potentially deepening global perceptions that the United States is open only to the highest bidder. Nonetheless, Gulf-based wealth-management firms report a spike in inquiries from Middle-Eastern and Asian high-net-worth families looking for “Plan B” residency. Whether Congress will move to codify—or sue to block—the program remains uncertain, but for now the website Trumpcard.gov is live and accepting payments.
The launch marks the first time the United States has tethered permanent immigration benefits to a direct cash payment set by statute rather than private job-creation metrics such as those required under the EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program. Immigration attorneys note that EB-5’s US $800,000 minimum investment is tied to risk-laden commercial ventures, whereas the Gold Card’s “donation” is essentially a revenue-raising mechanism that bypasses job-creation rules. Critics argue the scheme commodifies U.S. residency and could violate the Immigration and Nationality Act’s equal-protection provisions by favoring the ultra-wealthy.
Prospective investors weighing the Gold Card against existing visa options can also tap VisaHQ for step-by-step guidance. Through its dedicated U.S. portal (https://www.visahq.com/united-states/), the service helps applicants assess eligibility, gather supporting documents, and track consular updates—whether they pursue the new program or a more conventional visa route.
From a corporate-mobility perspective, the administration is also dangling a “Corporate Gold Card” priced at US $2 million per employee—an amount that Fortune 500 mobility managers say could rival the cost of multi-year international assignments when taxes and benefits are included. Some human-resources leaders, however, see strategic potential: multinational clients could use the card to secure immediate work authorization for mission-critical executives who would otherwise be stuck in capped visa categories such as the H-1B.
Immigration-policy analysts warn that the Gold Card sits uneasily alongside Trump-era crackdowns on family and humanitarian immigration, potentially deepening global perceptions that the United States is open only to the highest bidder. Nonetheless, Gulf-based wealth-management firms report a spike in inquiries from Middle-Eastern and Asian high-net-worth families looking for “Plan B” residency. Whether Congress will move to codify—or sue to block—the program remains uncertain, but for now the website Trumpcard.gov is live and accepting payments.
