Donald Trump. Credit: Joshua Sukoff, Shutterstock
A new immigration scheme launched by U.S. President Donald Trump is now officially open to applicants – if they’re willing to pay $5 million for the privilege.
The so-called “Trump Card,” described by the president as “somewhat like a green card, but at a higher level of sophistication,” began accepting waitlist registrations via trumpcard.gov this morning, June 12, 2025.
A luxurious path to U.S. residency via the Trump Gold Card?
The initiative offers foreign nationals the chance to buy a path to U.S. citizenship for $5 million. But while the price tag is clear, what applicants will actually receive remains vague.
As USA Today reported, the programme doesn’t provide automatic citizenship or green cards. Instead, it promises a potential “path to citizenship” without requiring congressional approval. This obviously raises questions about how it would work under existing U.S. immigration law.
White House officials have said further details will be released soon. For now, applicants can only sign up to be notified, providing their name, email, and region – from one of eight global areas, including Europe, Asia, and the Caribbean.
Trump: “Wealthy people will be coming into our country”
The Trump Card is the president’s proposed replacement for the EB-5 visa scheme, which currently offers green cards to foreigners who invest $800,000 to $1.05 million in U.S. businesses that create jobs.
Trump has pitched the new card as a revenue generator and a magnet for rich individuals. “Wealthy people will be coming into our country by buying this card,” Trump said earlier this year. “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.”
In a Truth Social post this morning, he shared an image that says: “FOR FIVE MILLION $DOLLARS, THE TRUMP CARD IS COMING! Thousands have been calling and asking how they can sign up to ride a beautiful road in gaining access to the Greatest Country and Market anywhere in the World.”
Global trend of citizenship-for-cash?
Trump’s pitch isn’t entirely unique. Countries like Portugal already offer residency and eventual EU citizenship after five years for foreign investors. But critics argue such systems create dual tracks: one for the wealthy and one for everyone else.
With claims it could raise $1 trillion and help tackle the national debt, Trump’s immigration-for-cash scheme is bold and controversial. But without a clear legal framework or a defined citizenship process, critics question whether it’s anything more than political theatre.
Would you pay $5 million for a shot at the American dream?
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