On Tuesday (25), the then-President of the United States, Donald Trump, announced the creation of a new immigration program aimed at high-income foreigners. Called the “gold card,” the new system would allow wealthy individuals to acquire the right to reside and work in the U.S., as well as provide an expedited path to citizenship, in exchange for a fixed fee of $5 million.
During a speech in the Oval Office, Trump emphasized the idea of transforming immigration into an economically beneficial mechanism for the country.
“We’re going to sell a gold card,” declared the President. “We already have a green card. This is a gold card. We’re going to put a price on this card of about $5 million, and it will grant the same privileges as a green card, with the added advantage of being a direct path to citizenship. Rich people will come into our country by purchasing this card.”
According to Trump, the implementation of the program was expected to take place in the coming weeks, as part of a broader initiative to overhaul the American immigration system.
The green card mentioned by Trump is the document that grants permanent residency to immigrants in the United States. Issued by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), it allows foreigners to live and work legally in the country without time restrictions, differentiating it from temporary visas for tourism, work, or study. Additionally, a green card holder enjoys almost all the rights of an American citizen, except for voting in federal elections. With it, they can also travel outside the U.S. without limitations.
The gold card, in turn, represents a new approach to immigration based on investments. The key difference between the two documents is that the gold card can be acquired through a direct purchase, while the green card typically requires a long application process, which may involve employer sponsorship, family reunification, or investment in specific areas of the country.
According to Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick, the gold card is designed to replace the current EB-5 visa program, a system established in 1992 to attract foreign investors. The EB-5 program allows individuals to obtain a green card by investing at least $1.05 million in U.S. businesses or $800,000 in economically disadvantaged areas, provided the investment results in the creation of jobs for American workers. With the introduction of the gold card, this process would be simplified, and the government could generate direct revenue to reduce deficits.
Trump argued that the measure would bring various economic benefits, in addition to facilitating the retention of talent educated in the United States. During a Cabinet meeting, he expressed concern that many highly skilled foreign students who graduate from American universities are forced to leave the country due to visa restrictions.
“I want to keep these people in the country. Companies can buy a gold card and use it as a recruitment tool. At the same time, this money would help pay off public debt. We’ll raise a lot of resources with this,” the president said.
Experts point out that the gold card could attract large foreign investments and boost strategic sectors of the American economy. However, the proposal also raises questions about the ethics of monetizing immigration and granting privileges to those who can afford to pay, creating a distinction between wealthy immigrants and those who follow conventional processes.
Additionally, critics highlight that while the EB-5 program already benefits investors, it still requires job creation and active participation from immigrants in the local economy. The gold card, on the other hand, could reduce this direct economic impact, essentially becoming a status purchase without significant counterbalances.
The proposal reflects Trump’s vision of transforming immigration into a financial transaction beneficial to the government, allowing only individuals with high economic resources to obtain an expedited path to American residency and citizenship. While the measure may attract large investments to the U.S., it also generates debate about the possibility of turning citizenship into a privilege accessible only to the wealthiest.
At the end of his speech, Trump expressed confidence in the success of the new initiative: “I think it’s going to sell like crazy. It’s a market,” he concluded.
The introduction of the gold card represents a significant shift in the U.S. approach to immigration, prioritizing the economic potential of foreigners over other traditional criteria. While this policy could generate substantial revenue and attract high-level investments, it also raises ethical questions about the fairness and accessibility of the immigration process.
By turning American residency and citizenship into a luxury product accessible only to the wealthiest, the Trump administration is betting on a short-term resource-gathering strategy, but it may face legal and political challenges if the measure is seen as a form of elitism in immigration. The real impact of this initiative will depend on its acceptance both within and outside the U.S., as well as the government’s ability to balance economic interests with the core values of inclusion and diversity that have historically shaped the country’s identity.
