Only one “gold card”, a permanent visa for the United States based on the green card model sold for one million dollars, has been issued since the program was launched, at the end of 2025, said Minister of Commerce Howard Lutnick on Thursday.
Asked about the subject during a hearing by a House of Representatives committee, Howard Lutnick stated, “One person was recently approved and there are several hundred people who have started the process to obtain this visa.”
Initially announced for individuals willing to pay five million dollars, the “gold card” became a reality in mid-September, with the signing of a decree by American President Donald Trump, but only became effective at the end of the year. “There are 250,000 people waiting in line right now,” mentioned financier Howard Lutnick in February 2025.
The final text opens up this visa to anyone willing to pay one million dollars and allows for obtaining a permanent visa after a process of “a few weeks” according to the dedicated government website.
A similar program, the EB-5, already exists for foreign nationals making investments of a certain amount in the United States but according to the government, which has made combating illegal immigration one of its priorities, it is subject to too much fraud.
The “gold card” remaining a visa, it can be revoked for reasons of national security, as specified on the dedicated website.
