President Donald Trump is pushing for a major immigration policy shift, proposing a new high-priced “Gold Card” visa to replace the current EB-5 investor program.
Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Trump outlined his vision for attracting wealthy individuals to the U.S. through a premium pathway to citizenship.
“Wealthy people will be coming into our country by buying this card,” Trump said. “They’ll be successful, spending a lot of money, paying taxes, and employing a lot of people.”
Trump suggested that the U.S. could sell “maybe a million” of these Gold Cards, bringing in significant revenue.
The current EB-5 visa program grants green cards to foreign investors who loan at least $1 million to U.S. businesses, as long as their investment creates at least 10 temporary jobs. However, critics argue that the program has been riddled with fraud and doesn’t deliver the economic benefits it promises.
Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick didn’t hold back when addressing the flaws of EB-5, calling it “full of nonsense, make-believe, and fraud.” He added, “It was a way to get a green card that was low priced.”
The program is also relatively small, with only about 10,000 green cards issued per year.
Trump’s new proposal would set the price of U.S. citizenship at $5 million—though he didn’t specify whether that price would apply per person or per family.
At first glance, $5 million might seem steep, but in the world of global wealth migration, it’s actually a bargain. The ability to secure U.S. citizenship means more than just a passport—it’s a way for investors to protect their money and families from political instability in countries like China and India.
“We give them away—we shouldn’t give them away,” Trump said, criticizing the current system, where roughly one million legal immigrants receive green cards each year, often with little financial contribution. He argued that the existing process puts a burden on American workers by increasing competition for jobs and resources.
While Trump is championing the Gold Card idea, he can’t implement it alone. Congress would need to pass legislation to replace the EB-5 program, which has already undergone reforms in 2022 to direct more investment toward underdeveloped areas.
For now, Trump’s proposal is just that—a proposal. But if he returns to office, expect immigration policy to be a major focus once again.
