The US president Donald Trump has officially launched the “Gold Card“, a program that offers US visas accelerated to wealthy foreigners who can afford to pay at least 1 million dollars.
The card will offer buyers a “direct path to citizenship for all qualified and selected individuals. Awesome! Our great American companies can finally keep their valuable talent,” Trump wrote on social media.
The news is relaunched by the main US media, but not only. The Trump Gold Card, first announced earlier this year, is a U.S. visa awarded to those who can demonstrate they bring a “substantial benefit” to the country, according to the program’s official website.
Its official launch comes as Washington steps up its… repression of immigrationincreasing work visa fees and deporting illegal migrants. The Gold Card program promises the residence in the United States in “record time” and will require payment of a $1 million fee, which is “evidence that the individual will bring a substantial benefit to the United States,” the program’s official website reads. Companies that sponsor employees are required to pay $2 million, plus additional fees.
The BBC also reports that a “platinum” version of the cardwhich offers specials tax breakswill soon be available at a cost of $5 million, as reported by the same site. Additional fees may be charged to the government depending on each applicant’s circumstances, the official website states. Individual citizens are also required to pay a non-refundable processing fee of $15,000 before their application will be reviewed.
The Gold Card program has been criticized since its announcement in February, with some Democrats arguing it unfairly favored the wealthy. When Trump first presented the plan, he described the ‘gold visas‘ as similar to Green Cards, which allow immigrants to various income levels to live and work permanently in the United States.
Green card holders typically become eligible for US citizenship after five years. The Gold Card, however, is specifically aimed at “high-level” professionals, Trump said, stressing that “we want productive people.” “Whoever can pay $5 million will create jobs. It will sell like hotcakes. It’s a real deal,” assured the White House tenant.
Recently, the United States has instead suspended immigration applications by people from 19 countries, mostly in Africa and the Middle East, subject to the president’s travel ban. The government has also blocked all decisions on asylum applications while thousands of cases approved during President Joe Biden’s administration are reviewed.
In September, Trump also signed an order to impose a $100,000 fee on applicants for the H-1B skilled foreign worker visa program. The decision has created panic among foreign students already in the United States and technology companies. The White House later clarified that the tax would apply only to new applicants established abroad.