Trump’s $5 Million "Gold Card" Initiative!
Attorneys:Attorney Jeff Zhengquan Xie,Attorney Jiarui Yin,Attorney Qian Zhao,Attorney Haochun Ling
U.S. President Donald Trump sent another shockwave through the immigration sector yesterday (February 25, 2025) after signing a new presidential executive order at the White House. He announced an administrative initiative to sell U.S. permanent residency status to wealthy foreigners for $5 million apiece, dubbing this status the "Gold Card." He stated that the program would be launched in two weeks!
Trump argued that wealthy individuals who purchase the Gold Card to live in the U.S. will be prosperous and successful; they will spend substantial amounts of money, pay significant taxes, and create numerous jobs in the country. He projected that the U.S. could sell 1 million or more Gold Cards, with the proceeds used to pay down America’s national debt.
When asked whether he would consider selling such Gold Cards to Russian oligarchs, he replied, “Yes, it’s possible. I know some Russian oligarchs, and they’re very nice people.”
The U.S. Secretary of Commerce, who accompanied him at the event, immediately indicated that this Gold Card program would replace the current EB-5 Investment Immigration Program. The Secretary criticized the existing EB-5 framework, arguing that it was a bad deal to grant U.S. permanent residency to EB-5 investors who only need to invest $800,000 in U.S. projects, and that the price for obtaining permanent residency through investment immigration needed to be raised.
Unsurprisingly, these remarks caused an uproar. We have received a flood of inquiries: Is this real? Is it reliable? Will the EB-5 Investment Immigration Program be terminated immediately? And so on.
As we all know, Trump is famous for his outspokenness. He voices his thoughts regardless of whether they are appropriate or legally compliant, testing the waters first before considering feasibility.
The "Gold Card" initiative reflects his innate business mindset and his appetite for foreign capital. The $800,000 EB-5 investment no longer catches his eye. He is not targeting individuals who scrape together $800,000 through mortgages or other means to immigrate to the U.S.; instead, he is courting the ultra-wealthy from other countries!
So, is there any possibility that this "Gold Card" initiative will come to fruition?
This question cannot be answered with a simple yes or no.
The current EB-5 Investment Immigration Program is a formal statute enacted by the U.S. Congress. A presidential executive order issued by Trump cannot supersede or repeal laws passed by Congress. If Trump intends to persuade Congress to abolish the existing EB-5 program, Congress must follow regular legislative procedures to do so. Amending the law through Congress is an extremely arduous process—unless Trump were to exercise dictatorial powers.
Trump claims he aims to sell at least 1 million "Gold Cards" to wealthy foreigners. It is unclear whether he understands the implications this would have for U.S. immigration quotas. Based on the current average of 2.5 immigration visas allocated per EB-5 investment application, selling 1 million Gold Cards would mean the U.S. government would have to approve permanent residency for 2.5 million wealthy foreigners and their family members. Would Congress approve such a massive increase in immigration quotas during Trump’s term in office?
If Trump lacks the clout to convince Congress to repeal the current $800,000 EB-5 program, the prevailing $800,000 Regional Center Program is set to expire on September 30, 2027. This means the existing $800,000 investment immigration program will likely remain in effect at least until that date. There is no need to debate now whether it will be extended by Congress beyond September 30, 2027.
Returning to the question of whether Trump’s "Gold Card" investment immigration initiative will materialize: we believe the odds are extremely low. For the most part, this idea should not be taken too seriously—but it cannot be entirely dismissed, as nothing in this world is absolutely impossible.
This episode underscores the vast disparity between the perceptions of ordinary people and a billionaire president when it comes to immigration pathways and legal frameworks. While many of us hesitate over whether to invest $800,000 to obtain a U.S. green card, the billionaire U.S. president scoffs at this modest sum. If the $5 million "Gold Card" initiative were ever to become a reality, the $800,000 EB-5 program would become a thing of the past.
Therefore, for readers who are considering or have the means to apply for the $800,000 EB-5 investment immigration program, it may be time to act promptly and initiate their applications.
Assuming Trump’s $5 million "Gold Card" initiative is ultimately implemented, it will not affect applicants who have already filed for the $800,000 or $1.05 million EB-5 programs.
Even if the $5 million "Gold Card" initiative comes into effect, applicants who begin the $800,000 EB-5 process after reading this article will also not be impacted, as the current EB-5 legislation remains valid, and the concurrent filing pathway is still open.
For readers who are interested in or eligible for the $800,000 EB-5 program and have any related questions, please feel free to contact us for a consultation.
如果有想法或有条件办理80万投资移民申请的网友有任何EB5有关的疑问，欢迎咨询我们。
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