U.S. President Donald Trump has unveiled his highly anticipated “Gold Card” program, a new immigration pathway that offers legal status and a route to American citizenship for applicants willing to pay $1 million.
The official website, Trumpcard.gov, now live with an “apply now” option, requires interested applicants to pay an initial $15,000 processing fee to the Department of Homeland Security. After passing a background check, applicants must make a $1 million “contribution” — described on the site as a “gift” — to qualify for the elite visa, which functions similarly to a Green Card but offers what Trump calls a “stronger path.”
“Basically, it’s a Green Card, but much better — much more powerful,” Trump said at the White House. “A path is a big deal. Have to be great people.”
Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick revealed that 10,000 people have already pre-registered for the Gold Card and expects the program to attract thousands more. “I would expect over time that we’d sell thousands of these cards and raise billions of dollars,” he said in an interview.
According to Lutnick, the new program is aimed at attracting high-net-worth individuals who will boost the U.S. economy. He contrasted Gold Card applicants with what he called “average” Green Card holders — claiming they earn less income and rely more on public assistance, though he provided no evidence.
The rollout comes amid the Trump administration’s intensifying crackdown on immigration, which has seen mass deportations and new restrictions on legal entry. The Gold Card is positioned as a revenue-generating counterbalance to those measures, similar to the administration’s tariff strategy.
Lutnick also confirmed the existence of a corporate version of the Gold Card, allowing companies to obtain expedited visas for employees at a cost of $2 million per worker.
