- WASHINGTON — US President Donald Trump has officially launched a new
immigration pathway for wealthy foreigners, dubbed the "gold card",
offering a route to permanent residency in exchange for a $5 million payment to
the government.
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- The long-discussed program was unveiled on Wednesday
through a new government-backed website, trumpcard.gov, where interested
individuals can now register their details to join the waiting list.
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- "For five million $dollars, the Trump card is
coming," the US President declared in a post on his social media platform,
Truth Social.
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- "Thousands have been calling and asking how they can
sign up to ride a beautiful road in gaining access to the Greatest Country and
Market anywhere in the World," he added.
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- The program, which Trump promotes as a fast-track
immigration option, aims to attract high-net-worth individuals seeking to live
and eventually become citizens of the United States.
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- Marketed as a more sophisticated alternative to the
existing EB-5 investor visa, Trump described the gold card as "green card
privileges plus."
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- However, despite the buzz surrounding the announcement,
the gold card is not yet available for purchase. According to the official
website, users can currently only submit their contact information to be
notified once applications open.
Read: Donald Trump's travel ban takes effect amid growing chaos over immigration enforcement
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- "Enter your information below to be notified the
moment access opens," reads the message on the homepage of trumpcard.gov.
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- Clarifying the scope of the program, Trump emphasised
that the gold card does not grant immediate citizenship.
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- "It's somewhat like a green card, but at a higher
level of sophistication," Trump said, adding, "It's a road to
citizenship for people, and essentially people of wealth or people of great
talent."
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- Reports by USA Today confirm that while the $5 million
payment opens the door to permanent residency, it does not guarantee automatic
citizenship, which would still require meeting certain legal criteria and
residency requirements.
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- The launch of the gold card comes at a time when Trump
continues to champion what he calls "merit-based immigration,"
positioning the new scheme as a bold move to attract global talent and
investment while maintaining stringent control over traditional immigration
pathways.