US President Donald Trump on Thursday unveiled the new ‘Gold Card’ visa, a pathway that allows foreign nationals to obtain permanent-resident status by donating $1 million to the US Treasury. The White
House has opened online applications, framing the initiative as a fast-track route for individuals and a major new tool for companies aiming to retain high-skilled foreign workers.
Calling it “somewhat like a green card, but with big advantages over a green card,” Trump said the programme would enable corporations to sponsor and keep talent graduating from top institutions. “Companies are going to be able to go to the Wharton School of Finance, Stern Business School, Harvard, MIT… and you’re able to buy a card and keep that person in the United States,” he said, adding that firms such as Apple had pushed for such a framework.
“Nobody talked to me more about it than Tim Cook,” Trump said.
According to the official website, applicants are required to pay a non-refundable $15,000 processing fee to the Department of Homeland Security, after which petitions are handled on an expedited basis. Once vetting is completed, individuals must make a $1 million “gift” to the US government, which is considered evidence that the applicant will “substantially benefit the United States.” Additional fees may apply depending on the applicant’s circumstances.
A corporate version of the visa, the ‘Trump Corporate Gold Card,’ allows companies to sponsor one or more employees by paying a $15,000 processing fee per worker and a $2 million gift per employee following vetting.
The programme also lets companies transfer the original $2 million contribution to a new employee without paying again, subject to a 1% annual maintenance fee and a 5% transfer fee, which covers a fresh DHS background check.
Trump said the Gold Card is designed to prevent highly trained graduates, including those from India, China and France, from being forced to leave the country after completing their studies.
“It’s a gift to get somebody great coming into our country… because we think there will be some tremendous people who otherwise wouldn’t have been allowed to stay,” he said.
US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick defended the pricing structure, saying individuals would contribute $1 million and corporations $2 million to bring an employee in, calling the scheme “the best vetting the government has ever done… $15,000 vetting to make sure these people absolutely qualify to be in America.”
Applications for both the individual and corporate Gold Card visas are now live on the government portal.
