Gold Card: 5 Things to Know About US Citizenship Visa Being Proposed by Trump
- United States President Donald Trump announced a new immigration initiative, introducing a $5 million “gold card” residency permit for foreign investors
- This program aims to replace the existing EB-5 visa and provide a direct route to American citizenship, offering additional privileges and a streamlined process
- Trump emphasised that the new visa would attract wealthy individuals and ensure strict vetting to maintain high standards
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USA – United States President Donald Trump announced a new immigration initiative on February 25, introducing a $5 million “gold card” residency permit for foreign investors.
This program would replace the existing EB-5 visa and provide a direct route to American citizenship.
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- What is the ‘Gold Card’ visa?
Trump’s proposed “gold card” residency permit is designed for wealthy foreigners seeking U.S. permanent residency and a pathway to citizenship.
Unlike traditional green cards, this premium visa would offer additional privileges and a more streamlined citizenship process.
“You have a green card; this is a gold card,” Trump said during the announcement, emphasizing its superior benefits compared to standard permanent residency.
2. Why is Trump replacing the EB-5 visa?
The EB-5 visa program, established in 1990, has long provided green cards to foreign investors who contribute at least $1 million to a business that creates a minimum of 10 jobs.
However, Trump’s Commerce Secretary, Howard Lutnick, criticised it for being rife with “nonsense” and “fraud.” “The EB-5 program … was a way to get a green card at a low price, and it was full of make-believe and fraud,” Lutnick stated, justifying the need for its termination.
3. Who qualifies for the ‘Gold Card’ visa?
According to Trump, applicants will need significant financial resources, but no specific job-creation requirements have been outlined.
Trump assured that all applicants would undergo strict vetting to ensure they are “wonderful, world-class global citizens.”
When asked about Russian oligarchs qualifying, Trump replied, “Possibly. I know some Russian oligarchs who are very nice people.”
Unlike the EB-5 program, which was capped at 10,000 visas annually, Trump suggested that there may be no limit on the number of “gold cards” issued, even proposing selling 10 million visas to reduce the national deficit.
4. Cost and benefits of the ‘Gold card’ visa
The price tag for this elite visa is $5 million per applicant.
While specific details are expected in the coming weeks, the program aims to provide an easier and possibly faster route to citizenship compared to traditional green cards, which typically require five years of permanent residency before eligibility for naturalization.
5. Comparison to other countries
Many countries offer similar investment-based residency or citizenship programs, commonly known as “golden visas.”
In the European Union, nations such as Spain, Greece, and the UK have implemented such initiatives, while countries like Malta, Egypt, and Jordan even provide direct citizenship through investment.
Trump offers to give US citizenship with a price
Legit.ng earlier reported that U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday, February 25, 2025, floated the idea of replacing the EB-5 immigrant investor visa program with a so-called "gold card" that could be bought for $5 million as a route to American citizenship.
Trump announced that the new scheme would replace the existing EB-5 program, which allows foreign investors to become permanent residents by investing large sums of money that create or preserve U.S. jobs.
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Source: Legit.ng
