The US government has launched the Trump Gold Card website. The process to apply for the much-talked-about Trump gold card, which requires foreigners to pay a one-time fee of $5 million to the US government, has been initiated.
Trump’s post on Truth Social indicates that the waiting list for the gold card is open now, and one must sign up or register to apply.
How to Apply for US Gold Card
Foreigners can now apply for a US Gold Card at the trumpcard.gov website by providing some initial details. The website features a gold-colored card with Trump’s face, asking applicants’ name, region, email address, and whether they are applying for themselves or as a business.
The Trump Gold Card website asks interested people to fill out a form that specifies eight regions: Europe, Asia (including the Middle East), North America, Oceania, Central America, South America, the Caribbean, and Africa.
The Department of Commerce of the United States of America is currently conducting email verification for website registration.
Gold Card holders will not get US citizenship but will instead serve as a pathway to citizenship. Trump has stated that he is not seeking congressional approval, and White House officials have stated that further information on the Gold Card will be available shortly.
Foreign nationals who wish to get US citizenship and lawfully reside in the United States must follow a specified process known as ‘naturalization’.
Lawful permanent residents (LPRs), also known as ‘green card‘ holders, are foreigners legally authorized to live and work permanently in the United States, meeting the standards set by Congress and listed in the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA). Green card holders are one of those eligible global citizens who can get US citizenship through Naturalization.
Trump has referred to the Trump card as a more sophisticated version of the green card.
The Trump Gold Card is worth $5 million and will be a direct payment to the US government. It is not a US Visa and only requires an investment of $5 million into the American economy by foreigners.
According to Trump, the Gold Card could potentially cover the $35 trillion US deficit, with a million cards generating $5 trillion and 10 million cards collecting $50 trillion for the government.
EB-5 Visa Vs Gold Card
Currently, the EB-5 Visa program is a popular way for foreigners to legally stay in the United States and apply for a green card, which leads to US citizenship. The EB-5 visa necessitates an investment of $800,000 in a Targeted Employment Area or $1,050,000 in other areas, meeting job creation conditions, either directly or through Regional Centres.
Gold card comes at nearly five times the cost of an EB-5 Visa for foreigners. Earlier, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick announced plans to modify and redesign the EB-5 visa model. $5 million will be a direct payment to the US government, unlike EB-5, which requires capital to be invested in the US economy. Also, unlike the EB-5 visa, Gold Card holders will not be mandated to meet the job creation requirement.
The existing statute protects investors under EB-5, which is approved until September 30, 2027, and cannot be arbitrarily terminated without congressional approval.
