Former President Donald Trump on Tuesday announced, via executive order, the “Gold Card Program,” an innovative investment-visa framework that would grant access to U.S. permanent residency in exchange for significant financial contributions.
The new executive-driven system offers three tiers of U.S. access tied to financial contributions. Corporations will be able to allocate and transfer visas to employees. Projected proceeds: USD 100 billion.
The three program tiers
Gold Card
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Contribution: USD 1 million to the Department of Commerce.
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Benefit: Permanent residency under EB-1 or EB-2 categories, previously reserved for individuals with extraordinary ability or advanced degrees.
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Condition: Successful background checks and immigration-eligibility approval.
Corporate Gold Card
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Contributions: USD 2 million per sponsored employee.
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Flexibility: Companies may reassign the visa to another employee, subject to additional fees and Homeland Security review.
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Target: Large employers seeking to turn immigration sponsorship into a renewable resource.
Platinum Card (pending Congressional approval)
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Contribution: USD 5 million.
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Key benefit: Ability to remain in the U.S. up to 270 days per year without triggering tax residency, thereby avoiding tax on foreign-source income.
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Advantage: Maximum flexibility for global investors.
Initial capacity and revenue projections
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Initial offering: 80,000 Gold Cards, exceeding the combined annual issuance of EB-1 and EB-2 visas.
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Revenue target: USD 100 billion, equivalent to 100,000 Gold Cards or 20,000 Platinum Cards.
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Processing fee: USD 15,000 per application—well above standard immigration-processing costs.
Security and eligibility
Despite the high financial threshold, all applicants must:
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Qualify for permanent residency.
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Be admissible to the United States.
Pass rigorous national security vetting.
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Important: Visas may be revoked on security grounds regardless of the amount invested.
Context and implementation
The executive order grants agencies 90 days to design application forms, verification protocols, and fee structures. The official website is already inviting applicants to “join the waitlist” on a first-come, first-served basis.
Infonegocios analysis
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The program effectively monetizes priority access to the U.S., aligning with global investment-visa trends while scaling to unprecedented levels.
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Multinational corporations and ultra–high-net-worth individuals are the core audience.
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Strong demand is expected from emerging markets and countries with high capital mobility.
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Risk: Criticism over potential “elitization” of migration, though the administration emphasizes that security controls remain intact.
Interested in the program?
The waitlist is now active. Consult your immigration and financial advisors to assess eligibility and strategy.
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