The Trump administration has proposed a new “Gold Card” visa program aimed at wealthy foreign nationals seeking U.S. residency through significant financial contributions. The program, which is still in its early stages, has sparked controversy and raised legal questions regarding its alignment with existing immigration laws.
Key Details:
- Individual applicants must contribute $1 million; company-sponsored applicants must contribute $2 million.
- A nonrefundable processing fee of $15,000 is required per applicant.
- Successful applicants may receive lawful permanent residence under EB-1 or EB-2 categories, pending availability.
- Legal experts note that there is no clear statutory basis for this program under current U.S. immigration law, as the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) already defines all employment-based visa categories.
The proposed program has only seen one approval so far, with many applications still pending review. Initial uptake has been lower than anticipated, leading to concerns about its viability as a fast-track path to a green card. Legal analysts warn that the program may conflict with the merit-based structure of existing EB-1 and EB-2 visas, and only Congress has the authority to create or modify immigrant visa categories.
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Source: AK Poku Law, PLLC