Former U.S. President Donald Trump has launched a controversial new initiative called the “Golden Card”, offering a fast-track path to American permanent residency for a $5 million investment.
The program was unveiled Thursday, with Trump announcing that permanent U.S. residency is now “for sale.” A dedicated website, trumpcard.gov, is already live, allowing interested foreign nationals to join the waiting list for what Trump describes as a “more sophisticated” alternative to the traditional green card.
“Trump Card!” he wrote on his Truth Social platform. The card, prominently featuring Trump’s image, reportedly does not guarantee U.S. citizenship but offers preferential access to immigration channels. The legal framework of the program remains unclear, especially as Trump claims it does not require congressional approval.
The website collects basic information such as name, continent of origin, and email address, implying a global scope for the initiative.
This new offer appears to be a replacement for the EB-5 visa program, which allows foreign nationals to gain a green card through investments ranging from $800,000 to $1.05 million in U.S. businesses. Trump’s version, however, raises the bar significantly by setting the price tag at $5 million.
“People who buy this card will be wealthy and successful. They’ll spend a lot of money, pay a lot of taxes, and create a lot of jobs,” Trump said, defending the initiative as economically beneficial for the United States.
The launch has already sparked debate, with critics pointing to ethical and legal concerns over monetizing immigration access, while supporters hail it as a bold economic strategy.
