The US government has introduced a bold new investor visa program—a “gold card” visa that requires a $5 million investment for fast-tracked US citizenship. President Donald Trump announced at the Oval Office that the initiative is set to replace the longstanding EB-5 visa, raising the bar for investor immigration.
What is the gold card visa?
The new visa program is designed to attract high-net-worth individuals by offering an expedited path to permanent residency. In his announcement, President Trump declared, "We’re going to be selling a gold card. You have a green card. This is a gold card."
He further touted the initiative as an upgrade, referring to it as "green card privileges plus." The programme is expected to launch in the coming weeks and is intended to bring in investors who can contribute significantly to the US economy.
Economic prospects and potential revenue
Officials predict that the new visa could generate massive revenue. Trump highlighted that the program would attract business leaders capable of creating jobs and driving economic growth, noting, "They’ll be wealthy and they’ll be successful, and they’ll be spending a lot of money and paying a lot of taxes and employing a lot of people, and we think it’s going to be extremely successful."
Thyrocare founder Dr. A. Velumani also weighed in on the potential windfall for the US treasury. In a social media post responding to praise for Trump, he stated, "imagine if 10 million gold card visas were sold over time. That would help rake in about 50, 000,000,000,000 US dollars or $50 trillion in revenues for the US government."
Impact on skilled workers and Indian applicants
While the gold card visa is geared toward attracting massive investments, it may widen existing inequalities in the immigration system. Indian applicants—many of whom have long relied on the EB-5 programme—now face a steeper $5 million hurdle. Critics warn that this shift could further marginalize skilled professionals who already endure decades-long green card backlogs.
Gold visa Vs EB-5 programme
The EB-5 visa has historically offered a more accessible route to residency, with minimum investments of $1.05 million—or $800,000 in targeted areas—to spur job creation.
The new gold card visa, however, raises the investment requirement fivefold. The previous EB-5 programme faced criticism over fraud and misuse, prompting the administration to introduce this stricter, high-threshold alternative. The revamped visa is also expected to undergo rigorous background checks, ensuring that only the most affluent applicants qualify.