Trump Announces Three-Tier Gold Card Visa Program

U.S. President Donald Trump has announced the Gold Card Program, a new three-tier immigration framework that ties U.S. residency and access to significant financial contributions.

The initiative was introduced by executive order and directs the Departments of Commerce, State, and Homeland Security to implement the system within 90 days.

Program Structure

Gold Card

• Contribution: $1 million to the U.S. Department of Commerce
• Outcome: Grants lawful permanent resident status under the EB-1 or EB-2 visa categories

Previously, these categories were reserved for individuals with advanced degrees or extraordinary ability. Under the new model, financial contributions are accepted as qualifying evidence.

Corporate Gold Card

• Contribution: $2 million per sponsored employee
• Transferability: Corporations may reassign sponsorship from one employee to another

This is subject to additional annual maintenance and transfer fees, with each reallocation reviewed by the Department of Homeland Security.

The administration expects major employers to buy multiple cards, converting immigration sponsorship into a renewable corporate resource.

Platinum Card

The $5 million Platinum Card is now pending congressional approval. Holders may spend up to 270 days per year in the United States without being considered U.S. tax residents, thereby avoiding taxation on foreign-sourced income.

This structure effectively allows extended U.S. stays while maintaining non-resident tax status.

The government’s website advises applicants to “join the waitlist now”, noting that approvals will be processed on a first-come, first-served basis.

Implementation and Capacity

The executive order requires the three federal departments to finalize application systems, vetting procedures, and fee structures within 90 days.

The program will initially make 80,000 Gold Cards available, a number that exceeds the typical annual issuance of EB-1 and EB-2 visas combined, signaling a large expansion in capacity for wealth-based immigration.

Revenue Projections

The administration projects that the Gold Card system could raise over $100 billion in revenue.

This assumes either the sale of 100,000 Gold Cards or 20,000 Platinum Cards, levels of demand without precedent in global immigration markets.

The $15,000 vetting fee represents a substantial increase over standard U.S. immigration processing costs.

Security and Admissibility

Despite high contribution levels, applicants must still:

• Qualify for lawful permanent resident status
• Be deemed admissible to the U.S.
• Pass an in-depth national security vetting process

The government has emphasized that Gold, Corporate, and Platinum Cards may be revoked on security grounds, regardless of financial contributions.