Photo: Alamy
President Donald Trump revealed a new $5 million gold card to reporters aboard Air Force One on Thursday.
According to the president, the new cards are part of a program to provide a legal pathway for wealthy migrants to receive green card privileges and additional incentives.
“For $5 million, this could be yours,” Trump told reporters. “That was the first of the cards. You know what that card is?”
“It’s the gold card — the Trump card.”
Trump also posted a video of his conversation with reporters to his Truth Social account.
The first gold cards are expected to roll out within two weeks.
Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick previously announced that over 1,000 gold cards had been sold.
“There’s a line for EB-5 of 250,000 right now. 200,000 of these gold green cards [at $5 million] is $1 trillion to pay down our debt,” Lutnick previously stated.
The program aims to replace the current EB-5 investor visa. This initiative would offer U.S. residency to foreign nationals who invest $5 million in American businesses.
Introduced as part of a larger immigration policy reform, the plan reflects a shift toward investment-focused immigration. Advocates believe it could inject substantial financial resources into the U.S. economy, while opponents argue that immigration policy should emphasize skilled labor instead.
The gold card is also intended to overhaul the EB-5 system, offering a path to citizenship for international investors. Under the current EB-5 guidelines, applicants must pay substantial processing fees ranging from $100,000 to $200,000 to U.S. immigration authorities, invest between $800,000 and $1 million and prove their investment has created at least 10 jobs for American workers.
One key benefit of the gold card is that its holders would not be subject to U.S. taxes on foreign income, unlike American citizens.
The announcement comes after Trump announced a wide range of tariffs during Wednesday’s Liberation Day event at the White House Rose Garden.
The tariffs include a 10 percent baseline tax on imported goods, with higher charges on items from some nations.
“Taxpayers have been ripped off for more than 50 years,” Trump said during his remarks. “But it is not going to happen anymore.”