Trump to sell US citizenship with $5 million ‘gold cards’

President Donald Trump announces plans to sell green cards to wealthy foreigners – dubbing them ‘gold cards’ – allowing holders to live and work in the US, with a pathway to citizenship.

By World Israel News Staff

The Trump administration is drafting plans to sell residency and work permits to wealthy foreigners, along with a pathway to citizenship, President Donald Trump announced on Tuesday.

Speaking with reporters in the Oval Office, the president unveiled a plan to sell visas – dubbed “gold cards,” to non-citizens who can cough up the proposed $5 million fee.

The new gold cards, which mirror green cards, will grant non-citizens residency and work rights on American territory, with an option to gain American citizenship.

Currently, green cards are offered to non-citizens on the basis of family ties, pre-existing employment in the U.S., or through investment, via the EB-5 visa.

The gold card system is expected to go into effect in two weeks, replacing the EB-5 investors green card visa.

First launched in 1992, the EB-5 visas require a non-citizen to invest between $800,000 to $1.05 million in the U.S.

“We’re going to be selling a gold card,” Trump said. “You have a green card. This is a gold card. We’re going to be putting a price on that card of about $5 million and that’s going to give you green card privileges, plus it’s going to be a route to citizenship.”

“And wealthy people will be coming into our country by buying this card.”

Trump touted the plan as a way to generate revenue without taxing American citizens, while also attracting high-income individuals to relocate to the U.S.

When asked whether Russian oligarchs could take advantage of the opportunity, the president responded: “Yeah, possibly. I know some Russian oligarchs that are very nice people.”

Standing alongside Trump in the Oval Office, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said applications for the gold card program would undergo a careful screening process.

“They’ll have to go through vetting, of course,” Lutnick said, “to make sure they’re wonderful world-class global citizens.”