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US President Donald Trump has unveiled his long-awaited “gold card,” a program offering legal status and a pathway to US citizenship for those willing to pay $1 million.
The official website, Trumpcard.gov, features an “apply now” button where applicants can pay a $15,000 fee to the Department of Homeland Security for expedited processing. After passing a background check, applicants must make a $1 million “contribution” – referred to on the site as a “gift” – to obtain the visa, which functions similarly to a Green Card, allowing holders to live and work in the United States.
“Basically, it’s a Green Card, but much better. Much more powerful, a much stronger path,” Trump told reporters at the White House. “A path is a big deal. Have to be great people.”
Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said around 10,000 people have already pre-registered for the gold card, and he expects the number to grow. “I would expect over time that we’d sell, you know, thousands of these cards and raise, you know, billions, billions of dollars,” Lutnick told Reuters. He added that the program would bring people into the US who would benefit the economy.
Lutnick compared gold card holders to “average” Green Card recipients, suggesting the latter earn less than typical Americans and are more likely to rely on public assistance, though he did not provide supporting evidence.
The gold card program comes amid the Trump administration’s broader crackdown on immigration, which has included deporting hundreds of thousands of people living in the US illegally and implementing policies aimed at curbing legal immigration. The initiative is seen as a counterbalance, generating revenue for the US Treasury much like Trump’s tariff policies.
Lutnick also noted a corporate version of the gold card, allowing companies to secure expedited visas for employees for a $2 million contribution per worker.
