Heightened Immigration Barriers Drive $1 Million ‘Trump Gold Card’ Sales, Early Uptake Strong but Effectiveness Hotly Debated

Trump-Style Investment Immigration Draws 1,300 Applicants in Just 10 Days
Demand Concentrates Amid Tightened Immigration Controls and Online Screening
Constitutional Concerns Raised Over Wealth-Based Double Standards

The so-called “Trump Gold Card,” an investment immigration program introduced by the Donald Trump administration for high-net-worth individuals, has recorded more than 1,300 applications within just ten days of launch, marking an early commercial success. The program, which grants permanent residency or long-term stay eligibility in exchange for a substantial financial contribution, is widely seen as benefiting from a balloon effect created by the Trump administration’s broader tightening of immigration controls since the president’s inauguration. However, as the scheme was implemented solely through an executive order without congressional approval, debates are intensifying over fairness in a capital-centric immigration policy and concerns over its legal durability, suggesting continued uncertainty in the months ahead.

Permanent Residency for a $1 Million Contribution

On the 21st (local time), the U.S. administration announced that cumulative sales of the Trump Gold Card had reached $1.3 billion within ten days of implementation. The program, which began accepting applications on the 10th, allows applicants to obtain permanent residency or long-term stay authorization by paying $1 million. Based on total sales, more than 1,300 individuals are estimated to have purchased the card to date. Speaking to reporters at the White House on the 19th, President Trump stated, “Companies can buy this card to bring talent into the United States and keep them here,” adding that “every dollar collected will be used to reduce U.S. national debt.”

President Trump first formally announced plans for the Gold Card program in February, declaring his intention to replace the existing EB-5 investor visa with a new Gold Card system. At the time, he said the administration would offer benefits exceeding those of a traditional green card, targeting wealthy individuals. In April, a prototype of the gold-colored card was unveiled, followed by the launch of a pre-registration website in June. In September, an executive order was issued to finalize the legal and administrative framework, instructing the Departments of Commerce, State, and Homeland Security to establish detailed operational mechanisms. On the 10th of this month, the official website opened, and online applications began.

The program consists of three card types: two individual options—the Gold Card and the Platinum Card—and one corporate Gold Card. The Platinum Card is currently available for waitlist registration only. Application fees for all three cards are set at $15,000, with additional minor fees potentially payable to the State Department depending on individual circumstances. The U.S. administration stated that applicants who make the required contribution typically obtain legal status as EB-1 or EB-2 visa holders within several weeks of approval, though for a limited number of countries, visa backlogs could extend waiting periods beyond one year.

Notably, the program does not establish an entirely new federal visa category. Instead, it operates within existing employment-based immigration frameworks. The Trump administration has structured the program so that a high financial contribution is recognized as a supporting qualification factor in EB-1 and EB-2 visa adjudications. Applicants do not receive a standalone Gold Card visa but secure residency through existing employment-based tracks. The EB-5 investor visa remains in operation, and any attempt to abolish it and create a new Gold Card visa category would require congressional legislation.

Sharp Tightening of Immigration Policy Since Trump’s Return

Analysts attribute the Gold Card’s early popularity to the sweeping reinforcement of U.S. immigration policy following President Trump’s return to office. With illegal immigration prevention and border control elevated to top national priorities, immigration policy has tightened across the board. Against this backdrop, demand has surged for investment-style pathways like the Gold Card that offer comparatively stable residency prospects.

On the 16th, President Trump signed a proclamation expanding and strengthening entry restrictions on nationals from countries deemed to have critical deficiencies in entry screening systems that pose threats to national security and public safety. As a result, the number of countries subject to heightened scrutiny for travelers and immigrants has roughly doubled this year. Nationals from designated countries may also see processing of their permanent residency or citizenship applications suspended, even if they are already present in the United States.

Seven countries are now subject to full entry bans: Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, South Sudan, and Syria, along with Laos and Sierra Leone, which were previously under partial restrictions. Individuals holding travel documents issued by the Palestinian Authority are also barred from entry. Partial entry restrictions have been newly imposed on 15 additional countries, including Angola and Nigeria. The full entry bans announced in June on 12 countries, including Iran, Afghanistan, and Somalia, remain in effect.

Barriers for general visitors and short-term residents are also rising. In May, the U.S. government expanded online activity screening during the review process for student visas (F, M, and J categories). In September, fees for the H-1B professional visa were increased one hundredfold. This month, scrutiny under the Visa Waiver Program’s ESTA system was further tightened, mandating disclosure of social media account information from the past five years and, when deemed necessary, requiring submission of phone numbers, email addresses, and family relationship details. The collection of biometric data, including fingerprints and iris scans, has also been authorized.

Procedural Legitimacy Questioned Due to Executive-Only Implementation

The Trump administration and its supporters argue that the Gold Card represents a pragmatic solution that aligns immigration control with tangible economic benefits. Rather than allowing disorder through illegal or random immigration, they contend that selectively attracting capital and skilled professionals secures fiscal revenue while meeting corporate talent demands. The administration emphasizes that proceeds from Gold Card sales can be directed toward reducing national debt, positioning the program as a tool that simultaneously addresses fiscal and immigration objectives.

Skepticism over the program’s effectiveness remains widespread. Critics point out that there is no clear mechanism ensuring that large financial contributions translate into job creation or enhanced industrial competitiveness in the United States. Compared with existing investor immigration schemes, the program’s differentiation is also viewed as limited. Labor groups and immigrant advocacy organizations warn that effectively allowing residency rights to be purchased risks stratifying the immigration system by wealth. In an environment where immigration controls are justified on grounds of public safety and national competitiveness, the outcome appears to be preferential access based on capital.

Some observers further argue that the Gold Card’s legal stability is inherently fragile, as it does not amend immigration law itself. As a result, the program could face modification or suspension through legal challenges or changes in administration. Democratic lawmakers have flagged procedural deficiencies and a dual immigration standard favoring the wealthy, raising the possibility of constitutional litigation. The American Immigration Lawyers Association has stated that implementing the Gold Card solely through executive order, without congressional approval, violates immigration law and carries constitutional risks, estimating the likelihood of invalidation at over 90%.