“Basically, it’s a green card, but much better.“At the briefing, Trump held an envisioned gold card to set the tone for his latest immigration policy.
OnDecember11,2025, Donald Trump announced thatthe “Trump Gold Card“visa program will formally accept applications from all over the world from now on, and the accompanying official website will be online simultaneously.
Under the program,individual applicants pay$1millionand businesses applying for employees pay$2million, in addition toa$15,000non-refundable processing and review fee. Trump made it clear that the plan is intended toreplace the currentEB-5immigrant investor program.
I. Trump Gold Card Comparison ofEB-5Programs
The core logic ofthisnew policy,dubbedthe “Trump Gold Card,“is fundamentally differentfrom thatof EB-5.
Rather than requiring the investor to put money into a U.S. business project to create jobs, itobtains a residence permit by paying a hefty fee directly to the U.S. ZF.
*Click on the large image for details
Trump said all the funds would“go to the ZF of the United States“and expects billions of dollars to flow into Treasury Department accounts“where we can do something positive for the country.“
Source: Internet, deleted
II. From$5million to$1 million.
Tiered Pricing Targets Different Wealth Groups
” The pricing ofthe Gold Cardhas undergone significant adjustments. As early asFebruary2025, Trump suggested that each“gold card“pricing of5million dollars.Now the official program has been adjusted to$1 millionfor individualsand$2million forbusinesses.
There is also a more advanced“Platinum Card“that costs$5million and allows cardholders to“stay in the U.S. for up to270days and pay no U.S. taxes on foreign income.“According to the ZF website,thePlatinum Card programis labeled“Coming Soon“. This tiered pricing strategy clearly targets different tiers of global HNWIs.
The program’s pricing system underwent significant restructuring and eventually tiering:
Individual Gold Card:$1,000,000 +$15,000 non-refundable review fee.
Corporate Gold Card:$2,000,000(for corporate employees)+$15,000 review fee.
Future Platinum:$5million(“coming soon“), offering longer stays and tax benefits.
That’sa significant reduction in the thresholdfrom Trump’s initial claim ofa single$5million pricing, intended to appeal to a broader group of affluent applicants.
Source: Internet, deleted
Third, can an executive order reshape the U.S. immigration system?
The “Gold Card Program“stems fromanexecutive ordersigned byTrumpin mid-September2025, which requires the Secretary of Commerce and the Secretary of Homeland Security to “take all necessary and appropriate steps to implement this program ” within 90 days .The order requires the U.S. Secretary of Commerce, the Secretary of State, and the Secretary of Homeland Security to“take all necessary and appropriate steps to implement the program“within90days.
It is rare in modern U.S. immigration history for such a major immigration policy change to be pushed through an executive order rather than congressional legislation. Its legal solidity and long-term effectiveness may be challenged in practice.
Commerce Secretary HowardLutnick calledtheEB-5“hocus-pocus, sham, and fraud“, while the Gold Card is designed to attract“the best and the brightest“.Thisshiftfrom“job creation“to“ability to pay“is a fundamental conceptual shock.
Source: Internet, deleted
Fourth, who is the“best and brightest“in Trump’s words?
In announcing the program, Trump clearly outlined a portrait of the target population. In particular, he noted thatgraduates of top U.S. collegesfromChina, India, and Francewould likely receive gold cards.
“I’ve heard complaints from some business leaders that they can’t recruit good graduates from American universities because they come from other countries and don’t have permission to stay.“Trump said,“You can’t recruit talent from the best universities because you don’t know if you can keep that person.“
U.S. Commerce Secretary HowardLutnick further elaborated,“Currently green card holders earn less than the average American, and Trump wants to change that. So it’s the same visa, but now it’s the best and brightest.“This suggests thatthe program is intended to screen for“elite immigrants“with high incomes, high net worth, and high educational backgrounds.
Schematic diagram, source web
V. Application process:
High vetting fees andthe promise of“absolute security“
According to a note from United States Secretary of Commerce Lutnick, the application process includes a key component: the payment ofa $15,000applicant vetting fee. This fee will be used for a“thorough“background check process to“ensure that these individuals are absolutely eligible to enter the United States“.
Lutnick also confirmed that the company could apply for and receive multiple“gold cards“for multiple employees, but thateach card could only be tied to a specific person.The cost of the review, unlike a million-dollar investment,is likely to be non-refundable, regardless of whether the application is successful.
Applications are made through the only official website:
Visitthe officialtrumpcardwebsite and submit your application with financial proof.
Payment ofa $15,000 review fee (the website is clearly labeled non-refundable under any circumstances).
Pending background checks, which are officially promised tobe completed“within a few weeks“.
It is important to note that while the corporate card can be used by different employees, the residency granted to an individual is not in itself an unconditional green card, and serious violations may result in revocation of the status.
Schematic diagram, source web
Is holdinga “gold card“equal to getting a U.S. green card?
This is a major concern for potential applicants. Trump himself declared that this new program“is effectively a green card, effectively providing permanent legal residency and access to citizenship.“
It is more accurately understood that it may serve as anew type of long-term resident visa with potentially simplified conversion requirements.It is expected that cardholders will be able toapply for a permanent green cardthrough the “adjustment of status“processafter meeting certain residency requirements, but the exact conversion rules and scheduling period will need to be clarified in subsequent DHS rules.
According to the disclosed terms,the “golden card“is essentially a residence permit visa.It isnot directly equivalent to a green card, although it is designed to be a fast track to permanent residency (green card). Cardholders will still need to go through the statutory adjustment of status process to obtain a permanent green card in the future, although this process may be significantly simplified and accelerated.
Schematic diagram, source web
[Conclusion]
“The company will be very happy.“Trump predicted at the end of the conference. The million-dollar“gold card“indeed provides an unprecedented fast track for U.S. companies to retain top international graduates.
For the world’s rich and elite, it is a“fast pass“thattradeshuge amounts of cash for time and convenience; for the decades-oldEB-5system, it is a disruptive challenge designed to replace it.
Thesuccess ofthis“pay-to-enter“immigration experiment will not only depend on the response of the world’s wealthy, but will also be subject to the long-term legal, political and social tests of the United States. Before pressing the payment button, applicants need to realize that they are not only paying money, but also betting on the stability of future policies.
*Reference sources: CCTV News, Caixin News Agency, China News Network, U.S.trumpcard,DHS,USCIS, comprehensive news reports collated, reprinted must indicate the source, infringement and deletion of contact.
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