Washington: A new visa program aimed at attracting wealthy foreign nationals to the United States is set to launch soon, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick announced Wednesday. The initiative, known as the “Gold Card” visa, will grant permanent residency and work authorization to those willing to invest $5 million into the country.
Speaking at Axios’ “Building the Future” event, Lutnick revealed that a website for the program — tentatively called TrumpCard.gov — is expected to go live within a week. Registration will open shortly thereafter, with further details to follow in the coming weeks.
The program, first introduced by President Donald Trump in February, is positioned as a replacement for the existing EB-5 investor visa, which allows immigrants to obtain green cards through investments ranging from $900,000 to $1.8 million. The Gold Card program significantly raises the financial requirement and promises a faster path to citizenship.
“There’s a huge amount of global interest,” Lutnick said, referencing his recent visit to the Middle East where he reportedly promoted the new visa. “Everyone I speak to who can afford it wants in.”
President Trump previously stated that the $5 million investment would offer green card-level rights and eventually lead to U.S. citizenship. “We’re putting a price on this card, and wealthy people will come to America by buying it,” Trump said in February from the Oval Office.
However, immigration experts have cautioned that introducing a new visa category would require Congressional approval — a process that could complicate implementation.
Still, Lutnick emphasized the potential economic impact of the initiative, suggesting it could contribute significantly to reducing the U.S. national debt, which currently exceeds $36 trillion. “If 200,000 people purchase this card, that’s $1 trillion — enough to cover a lot of our obligations,” he noted.
The administration touts the program as a way to attract job-creating investors and entrepreneurs while generating substantial revenue for the country.
