Trump announces ‘Gold Card’ programme for wealthy foreigners, offers US residency for $5 mn

WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump on Tuesday (local time) announced that the United States will introduce a “gold card” for wealthy foreigners, granting them the right to live and work in the country, with a pathway to citizenship, in exchange for a $5 million fee, CNN reported.

The CNN report, citing Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick stated that the gold card will replace the existing EB-5 immigrant investor visa programme. “They’ll have to go through vetting, of course”, the CNN report, citing the Commerce Secretary, “…to make sure they’re wonderful world-class global citizens”, Lutnick added.

BREAKING:

Trump announces USA will start selling gold cards in 2 weeks.

“We’re gonna put 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 come to our country” pic.twitter.com/OJnhFLeWAL

— Visegrád 24 (@visegrad24) February 25, 2025

Trump made the announcement during a media availability in the Oval Office, where he also signed an executive action investigating the copper industry and answered questions on various topics. He stated that sales of the gold cards would begin in about two weeks and suggested that millions could be sold. “From the legal standpoint, it’s totally legal to do”, he said.

When asked if Russian oligarchs would be eligible to buy the cards, Trump responded, “Yeah, possibly. I know some Russian oligarchs that are very nice people”, CNN report added.

During the event, Trump also admired a map of the newly renamed Gulf of America, and said, “I’m just admiring it as I look at it. I’m getting teary-eyed — but I don’t want you to say, ‘Trump broke down and started crying’.”

Continuing his remarks, Trump slammed the Associated Press, calling it “radical left”. “I think they’re radical Left. I think they’re third-rate reporters … They don’t treat us fairly”, he said.

Earlier, White House Press Secretary Karoline Levitt defended the administration’s stance on the Associated Press, asserting that questioning the US President is a privilege, not a legal right. During the briefing, she was seen distributing pamphlets that read, “Trump was right about everything”. “Look. You see that? Trump was right about everything… Would anybody like one?” she said. (ANI)