Trump's 'Gold Card' Visa Proposal: Pathway to Citizenship for the Wealthy

President Donald Trump proposes a new 'gold card' visa costing USD 5 million, offering a path to U.S. citizenship. This initiative aims to replace the EB-5 program by increasing investment requirements and focusing on wealthy individuals, potentially generating significant federal revenue and reducing national debt.

President Donald Trump unveiled a plan on Wednesday to introduce a 'gold card' visa program, priced at USD 5 million, as a potential pathway to U.S. citizenship. This initiative aims to replace the existing 35-year-old EB-5 visa program, promising to generate substantial income for federal coffers.

Trump projects the sale of a million such visas, potentially raising USD 5 trillion to alleviate the national debt. He emphasized that demand from the global business community could make this program a success, attracting wealthy individuals who would contribute significantly to the economy through taxes and job creation.

Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick highlighted the new visa's advantages over the EB-5 program, which he criticized for being poorly managed and vulnerable to fraud. While the EB-5 required a million-dollar investment to create jobs, the 'gold card' seeks to streamline the process and offers a citizenship pathway, with vetting procedures still in development.