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2.0

Reported: Trump presents Gold Card program to replace the EB-5 visa

  1. Original Date Announced

    February 25, 2025

    President Trump announced plans for a “gold card” program, which would allow noncitizens the right to live and work in the United States and a path to citizenship in exchange for a $5 million fee. Trump said that the sale of the cards will begin in about two weeks, and suggested that millions of such cards could be sold. The program intends to replace the current EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program, which allows foreign investors who meet certain investment and job creation requirements to obtain lawful permanent residency.

    Trump 2.0 [ID #1594]

    2025.02.25 Reported: Trump announces Gold Card program - CNN
  2. Subsequent Trump and Court Action(s)

    • April 16, 2025

      2025.04.16 Reported - NYT: Musk’s Team Is Building a System to Sell ‘Gold Card’ Immigrant Visas

      The New York Times reports that engineers from Elon Musk’s team have been working with staff at the State Department, DHS, and USCIS to build a website and application process for Gold Card visas. Officials from Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency "have met with officials at various agencies ... to understand which existing processes can be incorporated into their new system." DOGE officials are assessing "how to expedite the typical immigrant vetting process, which involves interviews and background checks, and obtain residency approval for high-net-worth applicants within two weeks of applying." Legal experts assert the program could violate immigration law because it bypasses Congress. Critics have also raised concerns about the ethics of selling U.S. residency and the risk of data misuse.

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Current Status

None

Original Trump Policy Status

Status: Reported
Trump Administration Action: Presidential Orders
Subject Matter: Immigrant Visas
Agencies Affected:

Associated or Derivative Policies

Commentary

  • EB-5 vs. Trump’s Gold Card

    The Nachman, Phulwani, Zimovack Law Group analyzes the differences between EB-5 and Trump’s proposed Gold Card program.

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  • Trying to Read the Tea Leaves: EB-5 Visas and President Trump’s “Gold Card” Idea

    In this blog post published by the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA), immigration attorneys and AILA members, Kripa Upadhyay, Jennnifer Hermansky, Kristal Ozmun and Phuong Le lay out the possible path for President Trump to implement the "gold card" visa and important considerations for EB-5 stakeholders.

    Go to article

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