Pay-to-Play Citizenship: Trump Gold Card Launches for $1 Million
The Gold Card is official. US President Donald Trump launched his long-promised Gold Card visa program on Wednesday, and the thing is, it’s designed to replace the old EB-5 investor visa with a direct, massive cash injection into the US Treasury.
Also Read | School Holidays: Winter Break Declared for Students in J&K, Rajasthan
It’s all about attracting “top talent” and “generating billions of dollars.” Let’s be real, it’s a golden ticket for the wealthy.
The Gold Card: What You Buy
The Trump Gold Card is essentially a fast-lane green card. It offers legal permanent residency and a pathway to US citizenship. It’s meant to replace the traditional EB-5 visa, which was created in 1990 but required job creation. The Gold Card has no job creation requirement.
Who is Eligible? Individuals eligible for lawful permanent residency, and corporations looking to sponsor foreign employees. Spouses and unmarried children under 21 can apply, but they have to pay additional fees.
The Steep Price Tag
This is where the rubber meets the road. It’s not a small investment, or nothing. The total cost is broken into two parts:
Processing Fee (Non-refundable): $15,000 per applicant/corporate sponsor. You pay this upfront to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for vetting.
The “Gift” (The Big One):
Individuals: $1 million. This is paid after approval and vetting.
Corporate Sponsors: $2 million per employee being sponsored.
X happened (the Trump administration needed cash and wanted to attract rich immigrants). And then Y followed (they structured the visa as a massive “gift” to the government).
Also Read | School Holidays: Winter Break Declared for Students in J&K, Rajasthan
How to Apply (The Process)
It’s streamlined, and that’s the point.
Go to the official website:
trumpcard.gov.Choose your card type (Individual, Corporate, or Platinum waitlist).
Fill in the details, set up a
myUSCIS.govaccount.Pay the $15,000 processing fee.
Wait for the DHS vetting.
Once approved, you pay the $1 million or $2 million “gift.”
The Fine Print and The Catch
While it promises “expedited processing,” there are some serious real-world constraints:
Taxation: Gold Card holders will be subject to US taxes on their worldwide income, just like any other US citizen or permanent resident. That’s a huge shift for high-net-worth individuals.
Revocation: The status can be revoked for national security concerns or serious criminal activity.
Wait Times: Some countries may still face visa wait times of a year or more.
The program effectively changes the traditional US immigration dynamic, making wealth the primary path to permanent residency.
Also Read | School Holidays: Winter Break Declared for Students in J&K, Rajasthan
Disclaimer: This information is based on public announcements by the US government and should be verified with the official rules and requirements on the trumpcard.gov website.
Add Businessleague.in as a Preferred Source 
