Washington, D.C. — September 19, 2025:
President Donald J. Trump has signed an executive order creating a new immigration pathway called the “Gold Card” visa program, designed to attract wealthy foreigners willing to make substantial financial contributions to the United States.
Under the order, eligible individuals can qualify for an expedited immigrant visa by making an unrestricted gift of $1 million to the U.S. Department of Commerce. Corporations or similar entities may sponsor applicants by donating $2 million on their behalf.
The program will be jointly administered by the Departments of Commerce, State, and Homeland Security. According to the order, the donation will be treated as evidence of “exceptional business ability and national benefit,” potentially qualifying applicants for a national-interest waiver under U.S. immigration law.
President Trump said the initiative is aimed at reversing what he called the “disastrous immigration policies of the prior administration,” which he argued led to a surge of illegal immigration and strained public resources.
Funds collected through the Gold Card program will be deposited into a separate Treasury account and used to “promote commerce and American industry,” the order states.
Officials have been directed to implement the program within 90 days, setting up application procedures, expedited adjudication processes, and administrative fees for processing and maintaining Gold Card status. The executive order also allows corporations to transfer sponsorship of a Gold Card holder to another individual under certain conditions, pending security and background checks.
The administration is considering expanding the initiative to include applicants under the EB-5 investor visa category.
The order emphasizes that it creates no new legal rights or entitlements for applicants and will be implemented in accordance with existing immigration law and security requirements.
