Manuel Garrido
Key Takeaways
- The Gold Card would establish a $5 million route to US citizenship for wealthy foreigners, replacing the existing EB-5 Visa program.
- Funds raised from Gold Card sales are primarily intended to help reduce the national debt and integrate wealthy individuals into the US economy, stated Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick.
- This program embodies a market-driven approach to immigration policy, focusing on wealthy foreigners capable of making substantial financial contributions.
What is the Trump Gold Card?
The Gold Card is a proposed new residency-by-investment program designed to replace the EB-5 Visa. President Donald Trump announced that the Gold Card would offer wealthy individuals a streamlined path to permanent residency in the United States in exchange for a $5 million investment.
Unlike the EB-5 Visa program, which required job creation and had a limited number of visas available yearly, the Gold Card is a premium alternative with potentially unlimited access. Successful applicants would receive US Green Card privileges, including permanent residency and a possible pathway to citizenship.
With a significantly higher investment threshold, the Gold Card aims to attract ultra-high-net-worth individuals while boosting foreign direct investment in the US economy.
US Gold Card Requirements
The Gold Card requires a $5,000,000 investment to the United States government for permanent residency. Applicants are expected to undergo a vetting process to ensure they are “wonderful, world-class global citizens.”
The Trump Card has no specific job creation requirement, meaning foreigners can buy the card if they have the fiscal capacity. This may suggest faster processing times for foreign residents to obtain US permanent residency.
Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick declared that the Trump Card would render the EB-5 Visa program obsolete. The EB-5 Visa was initially designed to provide permanent residency to foreign nationals who contribute $1,050,000 in metropolitan areas or $800,000 in Targeted Employment Areas (TEAs). The EB-5 Visa requires applicants to create ten full-time jobs for US citizens.
Detailed eligibility criteria are expected to be released in the coming weeks.
Trump Gold Card Benefits
The new Gold Card could have several benefits, including:
- Competitive advantage: The Trump Card offers the US a strategic advantage with the potential to claim a top spot among global Golden Visa programs.
- Easy access: Anyone can buy the Trump Card as long as they have the fiscal capacity.
- Green Card privileges: The Trump Card would give foreign nationals permanent residency (Green Cards) in the US, and with it access to benefits, Medicare, travel flexibility, and quality education.
- Significant economic growth in the US: Wealthy individuals would bring at least $5,000,000 of capital funds to the US through development projects and business.
- Cut national debt: President Trump explained that the revenue from the Gold Cards would balance the budget and lower the US federal debt.
- Clearer pathway to US citizenship: If the same citizenship pathways remain in place, the Gold Card could provide wealthy people a route to US citizenship through naturalization after five years.
How to apply for US Gold Card?
To apply for the Gold Card waiting list:
- Visit the official website, TrumpCard.gov.
- Provide personal information (i.e., email, first, and last name)
- Select a region (i.e., North America, Central America, Oceania, South America, Caribbean, Africa, Asia, including the Middle East).
- Choose whether you apply as an individual or a business (for yourself or a dependent family).
The moment access opens, you will receive a notification for the proposed Gold Card and additional application details. The proposed program offers legal residency.
The Trump Card is designed for wealthy foreigners with the fiscal capacity to provide a $5,000,000 investment and pass a vetting process ensuring they are “world-class global citizens”.
Read our EB-5 Visa Guide
How much money can the Gold Card raise?
The Gold Card’s initial cost is $5 million. President Donald Trump stated he expects to sell a million of these cards, which would bring five trillion dollars to the US economy. And if investors buy ten million of these proposed Gold Cards, that is a total of fifty trillion dollars.
Currently, the United States has over a $36 trillion debt, and according to President Trump, the Gold Card has the potential to erase the national debt and balance the US economy completely.
In a recent trip to the Middle East, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick claimed that interest is booming, and he was already selling Gold Cards to wealthy people.
Compared to other immigration pathways, like the EB-5 Visa, the Gold Card has a higher investment threshold, but doesn’t require applicants to create jobs for US citizens. Instead of investing $1,050,000 in metropolitan regions or $800,000 in Targeted Employment Areas and creating ten full-time jobs, wealthy people need a fiscal capacity of $5,000,000.
How will the Gold Card affect immigration laws in the USA?
The Gold Card proposed by President Donald Trump can drastically change US immigration laws. It would establish completely new immigration pathways to permanent residency for wealthy foreigners.
Instead of focusing on Targeted Employment Areas for priority processing, applicants only need to provide at least $5,000,000 to the United States government, which streamlines the entire process.
On 25 February 2025, President Donald Trump stated that Gold Card holders won’t have to pay any tax on income outside the United States. This would affect tax laws as it creates a territorial tax system for this specific class of residents. Gold Card holders must still pay taxes on any US income they generate. But, by creating these unique tax laws requirements, this elite group would get privileges unavailable to US citizens, Green Card holders, or those in the US on other types of visas.
At the moment, there is an ongoing debate about the proposed program. Many immigration law experts argue that Congressional approval is critical before President Donald Trump can introduce this brand-new visa category. Otherwise, the proposed Gold Card would only favor those with deeper pockets, instead of picking applicants who would provide jobs for American workers.
Immigration law experts also believe that EB-5 Investor Visa parameters were designed to bring businesses and hire more US workers, which is why President Donald Trump shouldn’t be able to erase them so easily.
President Trump added that, in addition to attracting wealthy foreigners to the US, American corporations will use the Gold Cards to recruit top talent from abroad. Russian oligarchs might also be eligible for the proposed program.
If you have a Gold Card, you are a permanent resident of the United States. However, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick explained that most holders won’t become US citizens.
Currently, foreigners can use multiple immigration pathways to work in the US. The United States government offers family-based immigration, employment-based visas (EB-1 through EB-5), diversity visas, and others. The USCIS (US Citizenship and Immigration Services) has focused on these immigration pathways for years and provides strict eligibility criteria to attract only the most qualified applicants.
Gold Card: What to expect in the future?
Less than 24 hours after the website was launched, over 15,000 foreign nationals signed up for the Gold Card waiting list. This is a bold move for President Trump and the United States. The interest in investment immigration programs is constantly rising, and the proposed Gold Card is expected to put the US at the top of residency by investment programs.
At the moment, nations such as Portugal, Greece, and several Caribbean countries provide more affordable citizenship and residency investment programs. However, the US Gold Card now seeks to prioritize wealthy people willing to invest $5,000,000 to gain permanent residency without creating full-time jobs.
Immigration law experts at Global Citizen Solutions recognize this program as an impactful shift in US immigration policy, viewing it as a transformative moment that could impact many. While the investment requirement is significantly higher, the US Gold Card is a unique offering in global mobility.
Why work with Global Citizen Solutions?
Global Citizen Solutions is a boutique investment migration consultancy firm focused on finding the right residency or citizenship by investment program for individuals wishing to secure their future and become global citizens. With offices in Portugal, the United Kingdom, Hong Kong, and Brazil, our multilingual team guides individuals and families from start to finish, providing expert advice considering freedom, mobility, taxation, and security.
- We have helped hundreds of clients from 35+ countries in all the top Residency by Investment and Citizenship by Investment programs. With an in-depth and comprehensive understanding of the area, we provide our clients with solid guidance. We have a team of immigration lawyers, and immigration advisers specialized in US immigration.
- Our team has never had a case rejected. Our 100 percent approval rate sets us apart from our competitors and guarantees that you can expect a successful application.
- Our transparent pricing covers all the processes from opening your bank account, document certification, and legal due diligence to investment and submission. As there is one fee for the entire process, you can be confident that you will not face any hidden costs later.
- All data is stored within a GDPR-compliant database on a secure SSL-encrypted server. You can be safe knowing that your personal data is treated with the utmost security.
- Global Citizen Solutions provides an all-encompassing solution. Our support can continue even after you receive your passport. We offer additional services such as company incorporation, Trusts, and Foundations formation.
- The BeGlobal Onboarding System® allows you to access the status of your application every step of the way, something that sets us apart from our competitors.
Frequently Asked Questions About the Trump Gold Card
What is the Trump Gold Card?
The Trump Card is a potential new residency by investment program to target wealthy foreigners. The Gold Card would replace the EB-5 Immigrant Investor Visa, increasing the investment amount from $1,050,000 to $5,000,000 in exchange for Green Card privileges in the US.
Who is eligible to get a Trump Gold Card?
To be eligible for a US Gold Card, you would need to invest $5,000,000 into the United States government and pass a vetting process that would classify you as a “wonderful, world-class global citizen”. The exact Gold Card requirements have yet to be announced for the proposed program.
Is the Trump Gold Card officially endorsed by Donald Trump?
President Donald Trump is the one who announced the program and showed the media a prototype of the Gold Card. President Trump actively promotes it on all social media platforms and has advertised a dedicated website that accepts sign-ups for the waiting list.
Is the Trump Gold Card a real credit card or just a collector’s item?
President Trump called the Gold Card a more sophisticated version of a Green Card. The proposed program is exclusively designed for wealthy foreigners with the fiscal capacity to provide at least $5,000,000 to the US economy.
How much does the Trump Gold Card cost?
The Trump Gold Card price is currently set at $5,000,000. It is designed to be a fast-track legal residency permit with Green Card privileges for wealthy wealthy foreigners with the fiscal capacity to provide capital funds, stated the Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick.
What are the benefits of owning a Trump Gold Card?
The Trump Card has many advantages, but the main one is the simple eligibility criteria. Wealthy foreigners no longer need to provide ten full-time jobs. Instead, they only need $5,000,000, which can speed up processing times, create a clear pathway to US citizenship, and reduce the national debt.
Is there an official website to buy the Trump Gold Card?
Yes, the official website “TrumpCard.gov” is ready for business and provides access to a waiting list. The site launched on Wednesday, 11 June 2025, allowing applicants to sign up in case they are interested in investing. The moment access opens, applicants will receive a notification via email.
Does the Trump Gold Card come with a certificate of authenticity?
If the Gold Card becomes a legal document, like a Green Card, recognized by immigration laws, it would serve as proof of status. While it might not come with a separate “certificate of authenticity” in the way a collector’s item would, the United States government would recognize it as an official legal document.
Is the Trump Gold Card available internationally?
Yes, President Donald Trump intends to target investors worldwide, including those in Europe, Asia, Oceania, Central America, South America, the Caribbean, Africa, and the Middle East. Immigration law experts at GCS believe the Gold Card can streamline current immigration pathways and create faster processing times.
