Camilla Jessen
“Thousands of people want to sign up”
U.S. President Donald Trump officially unveiled a new visa program on Wednesday aimed at attracting wealthy foreign investors, introducing the so-called “Gold Card”, a permanent residency permit priced at $5 million.
The president announced the launch of the program’s official website, TrumpCard.gov, where interested applicants can now submit their information and join the waiting list.
“Thousands of people have called to ask how to register,” Trump wrote on social media, according to AFP as reported by Digi24.
A Luxury Alternative to the Green Card
The Gold Card is designed as a high-end alternative to the traditional Green Card, specifically targeting affluent individuals willing to pay for U.S. residency.
While the actual visas are not yet being issued, the Trump administration is already accepting preliminary applications through the new website.
The concept was first presented in April, when Trump introduced the program aboard Air Force One, revealing that the Gold Card would feature his own image printed directly on the card.
Visas are expected to become available in the coming weeks.
“Less Fraud, More Money”
The Gold Card bears some similarity to the existing EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program, which grants visas to foreign nationals who invest substantial sums in U.S. businesses.
However, Trump has argued that the EB-5 program has become too vulnerable to fraud and abuse, and that the new Gold Card offers a simpler, cleaner alternative.
“Rich people will come to this country by buying this card. They will be rich, they will be successful, they will spend a lot of money, they will pay a lot of taxes, and they will employ a lot of people,” Trump said back in February.
The Trump administration has ambitious expectations for the program.
Trump previously estimated that the U.S. could sell up to one million Gold Cards or more, potentially generating billions of dollars in revenue for the federal government.