Lutnick: Trump’s $5M Gold Card Residency Site Launching Soon/ Newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ The Trump administration’s controversial $5 million “gold card” residency program is going live within a week. The card offers permanent U.S. residency to wealthy foreigners. Officials say it could raise trillions and help pay down national debt.
Gold Card Launch Quick Looks
- Trump’s $5M residency card website to launch this week
- Commerce Secretary Lutnick unveiled details at Axios event
- Site will open for registration at trumpcard.gov
- Card replaces EB-5 program with much higher buy-in
- Trump says selling 1M cards could erase national debt
- Critics warn of elite-only immigration policy shift
- Lutnick calls it a “Plan B” for global wealthy
- Other nations have tried and abandoned similar schemes
Deep Look: Trump’s $5 Million ‘Gold Card’ Residency Program Nears Rollout
WASHINGTON — May 22, 2025 — The Trump administration’s new “gold card” residency program, which offers permanent U.S. residency to foreigners who pay $5 million, is on track to launch its official registration website within a week, according to Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick.
Speaking Wednesday at the Axios Building the Future forum in Washington, Lutnick confirmed that the program’s website — trumpcard.gov — will soon be live, initially allowing wealthy individuals to express interest in the offer.
“All that will come over a matter of the next weeks — not months, weeks,” Lutnick said, indicating a fast rollout.
A High-Price Replacement for the EB-5 Visa
Originally announced by President Donald Trump in February, the gold card aims to replace the EB-5 investor visa, which allowed foreigners to apply for U.S. green cards with investments starting around $800,000.
Trump’s plan raises the bar significantly: $5 million per applicant, with a proposed goal of issuing 1 million gold cards — a figure that would raise $5 trillion, which Trump claims could be used to eliminate the U.S. national debt.
“Why wouldn’t you want a Plan B?” Lutnick asked. “If you’ve got the money, it’s peace of mind — and it helps America.”
“Welcome Home”: The Selling Point
Lutnick described the gold card as more than just an immigration tool — it’s an insurance policy for global elites who want a secure fallback option if unrest or instability affects their home countries.
“Everyone I meet who’s not American is going to want to buy the card if they have the fiscal capacity,” Lutnick said.
“Imagine showing up at a U.S. airport and being told, ‘Welcome home.’”
Critics Raise Legal and Ethical Concerns
While marketed as a fiscal solution, critics warn the plan reframes immigration as a privilege for the ultra-wealthy, further eroding the principles of merit- or need-based immigration.
Many nations — including Portugal, Malta, and the UAE — have launched similar “golden visa” programs, but most have scaled them back due to limited interest and ethical criticisms, especially during global inequality debates.
Trump’s Fiscal Vision Tied to Immigration
President Trump has repeatedly promoted the gold card as part of a broader push to reduce federal debt without raising taxes. At a campaign rally in March, he said the initiative would “flip the script on global migration” by making immigration a net financial gain for the U.S.
This initiative, along with Trump’s mass deportation plan and tariff-driven industrial policy, is central to his 2025 domestic agenda.
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