The Gold Card visa program offers access to immigrant visas to individuals who make significant financial contributions to the U.S. government. The new visa requires a $1,000,000 payment per individual. The visa, announced in September 2025 through President Trump’s executive order, targets high income individuals willing and able to pay to live and work in the United States.
While the new visa program targets high-net-worth individuals, businesses can also sponsor an individual for a two-million-dollar fee. Applicants must also pay a fifteen-thousand-dollar vetting fee. The Gold Card automatically grants lawful permanent residency to beneficiaries.
Additionally, the Gold Card visa offers a streamlined path to residency and citizenship. Also, the program will replace the EB-5 investor visa. Paying such a large fee counts as evidence of the applicant’s business ability and national benefit, per the White House.
There are currently 80,000 available Gold Card visas. The program could generate up to $100 Billion in revenue to the U.S. Federal Government. All paid fees go directly to the U.S. Treasury.
Initially proposed in February 2025, the Gold Card program gives applicants immediate legal residency. In contrast, the Permanent Resident Card (Green Card), requires no significant financial contribution. The Green Card offers applicants a chance to live and work in the U.S. for a set number of years. Green Card holders need to renew their cards once a year, it’s unclear if Gold Card holders must do the same.
Green Card applicants can face wait times that last for years depending on their visa category and country of origin. The Gold Card program offers a path to residency with virtually no wait times for those that can afford it. The Gold Card program won’t replace the Green Card.
It’s unclear how the government will implement the program. The Department of Commerce (DOC) is finalizing the vetting process along with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The wait list for the Gold Card is open.
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