President Donald Trump recently launched a website to promote his proposed $5 million immigration program, dubbed the “Trump Card,” aimed at granting wealthy foreign nationals a fast track to U.S. permanent residency. Despite the absence of any legal framework or congressional approval, about 15,000 people have already registered their interest.
The initiative, introduced in February as a rebranding of a “gold card” visa concept, promises residency rights akin to a green card—and a pathway to citizenship—in exchange for a $5 million payment. Trump touted the program on his social media platform, claiming strong demand from potential investors eager to “gain access to the Greatest Country and Market anywhere in the World.”
However, immigration experts note that creating new visa categories requires legislation, which has not been proposed or passed. The official website, trumpcard.gov, currently functions only as a mailing list and does not accept visa applications or guarantee entry.
Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick highlighted the financial potential of the program, estimating that 15,000 registrants could translate into $75 billion in investments. He projected that up to 200,000 participants might generate $1 trillion, with Trump envisioning eventual sales of 1 million cards totaling $5 trillion.
The Trump Card would replace the existing EB-5 investor visa program, active since 1990, which mandates an investment of roughly $1 million along with job creation requirements. Lutnick criticized EB-5 as “full of nonsense, make believe and fraud,” positioning the new plan as a streamlined alternative.
This announcement comes amid increasing international scrutiny of citizenship-by-investment and “golden passport” programs, which have faced criticism over potential corruption and security vulnerabilities. Several countries have terminated or tightened such schemes in response.
While the current administration has tightened immigration enforcement and asylum restrictions, the Trump Card proposes a radically faster route for wealthy applicants to obtain permanent residency, bypassing typical employment, vetting, and wait time requirements.
No official timeline or detailed immigration requirements beyond the $5 million payment have been provided, leaving the program’s viability and implementation uncertain.
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