On Wednesday, December 10th, American President Trump (formerly known as Trump) announced the official launch of the “Trump Gold Card,” which is now accepting applications. Those who obtain this gold card will be granted legal status in the United States, similar to a green card, and ultimately, American citizenship.
President Trump made this announcement during a roundtable meeting with business leaders on Wednesday. “We have just introduced the Trump Gold Card,” he said. “Approximately 30 minutes later, the website will go live, and all funds will go to the U.S. government.”
Trump believes that the new “Gold Card” version can help the U.S. attract and retain top talent while also increasing revenue for the federal budget.
He mentioned that businesses can purchase the gold card to assist foreign exchange students in staying in the U.S. after graduating from university, making it easier for them to find jobs. If they find jobs in the U.S., they won’t have to return to their home countries.
“I’ve heard from many people, including you all present here, that essentially in the U.S., you cannot retain students,” he said. “You can’t keep the best students. You can’t recruit from the best universities because you don’t know if you can retain them.”
The President specifically mentioned graduates from top U.S. universities in China, India, and France, who may be eligible for the Gold Card.
“Basically, it’s a green card but better,” Trump said. “More powerful, more reliable.”
U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick stated that under the Trump Gold Card program, individual applicants need to pay $1 million, while businesses assisting in individual applications need to pay $2 million.
“They (businesses) spend $2 million,” Lutnick said. “Then they can undergo a thorough review of their employees. This is the strictest review the government has ever conducted to ensure that these individuals are absolutely qualified to become U.S. citizens.”
He mentioned that this way, these employees would have a pathway to citizenship.
“Obviously, they must be good citizens,” Lutnick said. “After five years, after review, they can apply for citizenship. Then, companies can help other people apply. For individuals, this $1 million is a gift to the U.S.”
Lutnick also stated that current green card holders earn less income than the average American, and President Trump hopes to change this situation.
“So the visa is similar (to the green card), but now it’s all the best talents,” he said regarding the Gold Card.
Trump stated, “We believe this funding might flow into the U.S. Treasury, entering an account specifically designed for the benefit of the country.”
“We can do some good things for the country with this money,” he added.
The President mentioned that businesses would be very pleased with this policy.
Trump did not mention the requirement for companies to create job positions for applicants, nor did he mention the overall quota for the Gold Card program.
Trump’s “Truth Social” account posted a link to the TrumpCard.gov website (Trump Gold Card). The website displays a landscape photo with the words “Trump Gold Card.” Below the photo are the words “Unlock American living.”
The website offers three card options: Individual Trump Gold Card, Individual Trump Platinum Card (currently displayed as “coming soon”), and Trump Corporate Gold Card.
The Platinum Card is priced at $5 million, but the website states that the price may vary. Cardholders can reside in the U.S. for up to 270 days per year without paying taxes on non-U.S. income.
During registration, the website requests information such as the cardholder’s name, birthday, place of birth, and address.
The website claims that once the information is submitted, there will be a “thorough review,” including a comprehensive background check. The audit fee for all three types of Gold Cards is $15,000. The corporate card also requires an annual fee.
Since it was announced in February of this year, the Trump Gold Card has been highly anticipated. Originally conceived to replace the EB-5 investment immigration program (also known as the Golden Visa), which allows foreigners to obtain a U.S. green card by investing a certain amount and creating at least 10 job positions.