Trump to auction off citizenship via his 'gold cards' for $5m to foreigners who create jobs

[Initech]

Source: The Independent

President Donald Trump announced a new path to U.S. citizenship: a pricey gold card.

The U.S. is going to “sell” gold cards for $5 million, Trump announced in the Oval Office Tuesday.

“We're going to be putting a price on that card of about $5 million and that's going to give you [permanent resident] Green Card privileges, plus it's going to be a route to citizenship,” the president said. He branded it as “somewhat like a Green Card, but at a higher level of sophistication.”

“Wealthy people will be coming into our country by buying this card,” he continued. “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. And we think it's going to be extremely successful and never been done before.”

Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick clarified the Trump administration plans to terminate a somewhat similar EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program and “replace it with the Trump gold card.”

Read more: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/trump-gold-card-immigration-buy-citizenship-green-b2704646.html

---

Fucking what??? This is evil AF!!! Like James Bond supervillain level evil.

[KarenS]

1. OMG I thought this would be Borowitz or The Onion,,,,,

[Initech]

5. Nope... it's real.

Every time I think it can't get worse, it does.

[riversedge]

28. that was my first thought also. OMG!!

[Timeflyer]

73. If this was fiction, I'd stop reading here. Don't want to know how this dystopia collapses.

[Eugene]

2. basically an EB-5 at sextuple the price with a path to citizenship

Hey MF47, if you really want to root out golden visa fraud,
you might want to start with your son-in-law Jared.

[DENVERPOPS]

14. Ivanka and Jared may come back into the fold

It's a whole new grift possibility. His spawn and Jared can print up a bunch of perfect counterfeits and well them on the side.

They can run it in their spare time. set up an offshore account, tell everyone to deposit the millions, and by Fed Ex overnight they will receive the card and travel to the U.S. immediately and just show the border patrol or customs your gold card...

[Ocelot II]

3. Kind of like the Pope selling indulgences?

For enough money you can buy your way into the heaven of citizenship. Fuck that "give me your tired, your poor" bullshit.

[ananda]

24. A few weeks ago I posted on the way Chaucer works in the Trump admin.

Trump is the Pardoner ( who sold indulgences).

Jimmy Carter was the Plowman.

Biden was the Knight.

The Wife of Bath was represented by strong
women -- Let the woman be the boss.

And so on.

[FakeNoose]

44. Yep ... I was thinking the same thing

Come on Grim Reaper ... do your job quickly. He's gotta go NOW!

[Lokee11]

47. Please, Please, Please,

[Aristus]

4. Any Federal judges out there want to take a crack at this?

Anybody?...

[LeftInTX]

13. Not a federal anything, but there is already a similar program. This one will just be a higher investment level.

EB-5 Visa
Immigrant Investor Visa Program
Purpose Investment in a new commercial enterprise
Eligibility Investment of $1,050,000 or $800,000 in a Targeted Employment Area (TEA)
Expiration Conditional permanent residence valid for two years
Cost $1,050,000 or $800,000 investment

The United States EB-5 visa, employment-based fifth preference category[1] or EB-5 Immigrant Investor Visa Program was created in 1990 by the Immigration Act of 1990. It provides a method for eligible immigrant investors to become lawful permanent residents—informally known as "green card" holders—by investing substantial capital to finance a U.S. business (known as a "new commercial enterprise&quot as long as it creates at least 10 new, full-time jobs for Americans and work-authorized immigrants.[2] The EB-5 program is intended to encourage both "foreign investments and economic growth."[3] The EB-5 Immigrant Investor Visa Program is one of five employment-based (EB) preference programs in the United States.[4]: 4

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EB-5_visa

Keep in mind, Trump says it is a "Trump Gold Visa", but it will not be called that. Also it likely very similar benefits as the EB-5 Visa. Essentially they become green card holders and are then eligible for US citizenship.

[Aristus]

17. This is really going to need some oversight. Otherwise, he's just going to pocket all the money.

I know oversight is Congress's job, but, well, here we are.

[HighFired49]

46. Oversight is their job

and so is writing laws. Dump has once again overstepped his authority.

[RazorbackExpat]

62. His master Eloon will provide the oversight

Preference given to rich white South Africans and Russian oligarchs

[LeftInTX]

74. I think writing details and regulation in an EO may be an obstacle. He can't eliminate the E1-5 visa without congress.

https://www.uscis.gov/working-in-the-united-states/permanent-workers/eb-5-immigrant-investor-program

Trump's $5 million 'gold card' visa unlikely to attract wealthy investors, advisers say

Trump said on Tuesday he planned to replace an existing EB-5 immigrant investor visa program, which requires a minimum $800,000 investment, with the gold card plan that would allow U.S. citizenship to foreigners promising to invest in U.S. businesses.
Details of the new plan would be released in two weeks, he said.
"I do not believe that the current POTUS offer will have a big impact, as getting a green card in the U.S. if you meet certain criteria, is not difficult," said Bassim Haidar, a former UK non-domiciled multimillionaire told Reuters.
"Paying $5 million for a golden visa and getting taxed on your global income defeats the purpose."
Trump's plan comes at a time when the European Union is putting pressure on member states to withdraw or tighten residency-by-investment programs, which can trigger house price bubbles and bring marginal benefits to GDP, as well as increase the risks of tax evasion and corruption.
"It also requires congressional approval so Trump alone cannot decide to eliminate the current EB-5 program. EB-5 is also about investing money so eliminating it wouldn't make sense."
https://www.reuters.com/world/us/trumps-5-million-gold-card-visa-unlikely-attract-wealthy-investors-advisers-say-2025-02-26/
https://archive.ph/FPJWJ

EU has "Gold Visas", however they're like our E1-5 visas.


If Trump tries to eliminate the E1-5 visa in an EO, the courts will strike it down.
If he tries to create a "new class", once again regulations would need to be involved.

[tulipsandroses]

6. So the USA is officially for sale, by policy. Nice.

Wealthy foreigners don't usually need green cards either. So what exactly would they be purchasing?

[DENVERPOPS]

16. Exactly

just look at Melania's and Musk's start here.......

Sorry, I meant Melanoma....

[stillcool]

7. Do they need to be from Russia?

or white?

[IthinkThereforeIAM]

69. Afrikaner...

... the poor white Afrikaner farmers, I guess a few got killed lately.

"Elon Musk has appeared to endorse a message about race-based emigration from his native South Africa, after President Donald Trump threatened the country over new land expropriation laws.

The string of events that led to Musk’s one-word endorsement of immigration by his white fellow countrymen started when South African President Cyril Ramaphosa in January signed into law a bill that could flip the script on the minority ownership of the majority of the country’s farmland. In post-apartheid South Africa, where Trump’s “first buddy” was born in 1971, Black people remain the overwhelming land-owning minority, despite being the ethnic majority. Ramaphosa’s bill would allow the government to seize farmland without compensation to landowners."

https://www.yahoo.com/news/elon-musk-backs-race-based-125757533.html

[sinkingfeeling]

8. I guess Congress has abdicated all of its Constitutional powers to the 'king'. EB-5 was put in place

by Congress in 1990 and is in line with many other countries' investment residency programs.

P.S. I foresee a hundred Russian oligarchs coming soon.

[spooky3]

40. Lots of Chinese folks may qualify also.

He’s not going to get all those nice (white) Norwegians that he said he wanted.

[Ocelot II]

78. Those nice white Norwegians are staying put

in a country that's a lot richer than this one and doesn't have a stupid government.

[HighFired49]

45. I don't think Congress has abdicated any of their powers

I think that Dump believes that he can just write law about anything he pleases, or just say it, and our government will pay for the results. There's nothing legal or binding in his foolishness. The Congress just needs to tell him to piss off, which I think they probably will, soon.

[sinkingfeeling]

49. yeah, sure. like they just did on the budget?

[atreides1]

82. Yes they have

Some of them are probably in on the grift!

[bluescribbler]

9. Grifters gotta grift.

TSF is the champion grifter.

[Initech]

19. He was hawking more of his bullshit merchandise during this press conference.

While signing more of his evil AF executive orders.

[Bayard]

10. Who gets that money?

[somsai]

66. general fund, same as our taxes, every check I write to "US TReasury" goes there.

[Irish_Dem]

11. Everything is for sale.

Trump is selling us out piece by piece.

[MLWR]

12. How is this legal?

[Bernardo de La Paz]

15. Who is that rich & can't get citizenship std way? ... Criminals. . . . . nt

[SunSeeker]

18. We're going to be like Malta, selling citizenship to crime bosses.

[turbinetree]

20. How about this shit show House and Senate and US Supreme Court are you now happy.............

JFC...................welcome to Victor Orban................ 2.0 no its 3.0..............

[Aussie105]

21. It's official. America is for sale!

Just bring lots of money, maybe create a few jobs.

Don't care if you are a Mexican drug lord or Russian oligarch wanting to flee your country, your money buys you entry, no questions asked.

The rest of you - well, go away!

What is that country that welcomed cashed up Nazis at the end of WW2?

[Initech]

29. We went from "give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses" to "pay up, suckas!"

[Figarosmom]

22. Is this even legal?

Who would have to sue to bring it to court?

Talk about foreign criminals coming here, thats what this will attract. Countries will start sending them here. Cartels can come here for 5 mil and creating a few jobs. After all they ARE good at job creation.

[Hope22]

23. Nothing like a privileged new comer....

So much for the melting pot!!!

[Volaris]

25. Hes a complete moron.

Rich people that want to come here already have papers. .they're called PASSPORTS. and when it's time for you to leave, you can afford to go home for a week and then FLY BACK.

Christ he's a dumb numpty.

[ancianita]

26. The Koch/Musk oligarchy is building its henchmen class.

[BadgerMom]

39. Thank you for including the Koch network.

They’re not showing off with chain saws, but the mess we’re in now is, at least in part, the result of decades of their money at work.

[ancianita]

50. They are the linchpin of all this destruction. Because Musk is the face of it doesn't change that fact.

Now that Amy Gleason (on vacation in Mexico!) was named the head administrator of DOGE doesn't change that fact. She didn't even know she'd been named! She's there to show up in court so Musk doesn't have to.

Proj 2025 has hurt a lot of Americans, but most Americans who hate the felon can be sure the federal employees and courts are beating the F out of the felon's execution of that project and its DOGE front. The felon's cabinet heads look like Koch's oligarch henchmen, and Bernie's tour is successfully getting public opinion against the whole lot of them.

[BadgerMom]

54. Yep. Koch funds the Heritage Foundation which is responsible for Project 2025.

Charles Koch probably feels he can die happy having fulfilled his father’s hope magnificently. Old man Koch and old man Trump raised sick daddy’s boys.

[Deuxcents]

27. Could this be a money laundering scheme for rich oligarchs? I can't believe this is even legal.

[jmowreader]

30. This isn't quite the "great deal" for foreigners that it seems

The program this replaces is called EB-5. Anyone who wants to use it has to pay $22,225 to the State Department in various fees and invest about $1.8 million in creating a business that'll employ at least 10 Americans. So, under $2 million to get to the point where Americans are working.

A Trump Gold Card will sell for $5 million before you get around to investing any money into creating your business. If he keeps the $1.8 million investment requirement, it'll be around $7 million to get to the point where you can hire anyone.

In short, this will DISCOURAGE investment in the United States. Doesn't this idiot think anything through?

[Miami Blue]

31. The Grifter in Chief and His Crime Family all suck

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/economy/jared-kushner-others-gerrymander-sell-visas-foreigners-steep-discount

[the nelm]

32. "One dollar for me, one for you, two dollars for me, one for you..." n/t

[AverageOldGuy]

33. Wealthy people will be buying these.

Wealthy people such as drug cartel chiefs, crypto scam artists, . . . ?

[NotHardly]

34. Oligarchy on parade for a price$$$$$

[Hekate]

35. This is legal?!

[Solly Mack]

36. "paying a lot of taxes "

LMAO


How low can you go America?

[airplaneman]

84. My first thought also.

[Solly Mack]

85. And to think some folks will believe the pay more taxes line.

The whole thing is beyond preposterous .

And I fear things can go lower.

[moonshinegnomie]

37. i propose we seize ALL his assets

same with musk.
if they can just make shit up to jusify it why cant everyone else.....
. (only barely)

[travelingthrulife]

38. Now he's actually giving jobs to those evil immigrants.

[greatauntoftriplets]

41. Is this legal?

Probably won't matter to drumpf. Actually, this is a stupid thing. The undocumented immigrants crossing the border don't have $5 million to give to drumpf.

[Tanuki]

42. Jared Kushner's sister tried to pull something like this on behalf of wealthy Chinese

last time around but pulled back after being accused of soliciting bribes.
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/spicer-kushner-not-involved-family-s-chinese-eb-5-visa-n756406

"A former White House ethics adviser says that a sales pitch by Jared Kushner's sister to potential Chinese investors that was centered on a controversial visa program came "very, very close to solicitation of a bribe."

"This is corruption, pure and simple," said Richard Painter, who was an attorney for President George W. Bush and is now a University of Minnesota law professor.
....
Addressing the crowds in Beijing and Shanghai at an event hosted by a Chinese immigration firm was Nicole Meyer, sister of Kushner, who is one of Trump's most trusted confidants and his son-in-law.

She name-checked Kushner, according to reporters from the Washington Post and the New York Times who attended. Trump's photo also was included in a slideshow that described him as a key decision-maker on the fate of the EB-5 program, but Kushner Companies said that was the work of the Chinese organizer.

The so-called "golden visa" program gives foreigners who invest at least $500,000 in U.S. development projects a faster track to pursue green cards for themselves and their families."...(more)

[4catsmom]

43. and where is this money going to go?

Trump's pocket, no doubt

[chouchou]

48. Christ! What's next? A take on The Coaster's Little Egypt.

I went and bought myself a ticket
And I sat down in the very first row, whoa-whoa
They pulled the curtain but then when
They turned the spotlight way down low, whoa-whoa
Little Egypt came out strutting
Wearing nothing but a button and a bow, whoa-whoa

[Attilatheblond]

52. Eric? Cher?

You really had me laughing at that one

[FakeNoose]

51. It's another one of Chump's poorly-considered brain fart schemes

Why would any truly wealthy foreigners want to emigrate here, when all the cheap labor is being kicked out of the country? Wealthy people didn't get wealthy by working for themselves ... they hired cheaper labor to work for them. They want servants, maids, gardeners, maintenance people - are Americans going to do those jobs? Hell no!

Wealthy company owners want to hire cheap labor to work in their factories, and BE GRATEFUL for their menial jobs. Who's going to do that? Nobody you or I know! It's the underpaid immigrants - the ones who are leaving the US in record numbers.

Ultra-wealthy foreigners are staying out of the US because they know what's going on here. They know how bad of a leader Chump is, and they have no reason to come here and throw their lot in with the likes of him.

[YoshidaYui]

53. REALLY, WHO IS THE BIGGEST

ASSHOLE IN THE WORLD?? I know you know who it is... wouldn't it be great to tell it to his face?

[BadgerMom]

55. One person can create a path to citizenship?

One person can change the name of a body of water known for hundreds of years by another? One man can erase 80 years of diplomacy? Our Constitution was written to forbid this kind of power. The cowardly weasels in Congress have the authority to claim their own power and to stop this in the name of the people, their constituents. Cowards! Damn cowards!

[waterwatcher123]

56. Just like Trump pays taxes??? It sounds like another illegal scheme.

[Hekate]

57. A few more "Americans" like Musk & my grandkids will be serfs

[IbogaProject]

58. EB-5 has been around since 1990

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EB-5_visa
This will be a grift his grift.

[LymphocyteLover]

70. Didn't he push this program last time he was in office? I think just the "gold card" part is new

[Linda ladeewolf]

59. Job creators, my ass!

More like, come on in all you rich parasites! For the princely sum of $5 million dollars you can suck even more money out of the American people. It’s open season on us, folks.

[oasis]

60. Pay 5 million to get on board Trump's makeover

of America?
Get real. Anyone with adequate finances would run like hell from the upcoming perpetual shitshow.

[cstanleytech]

61. I might be wrong but I think New Zealand has some sort of investment thing like that.

[LeftInTX]

75. Yes. They do

https://www.nzte.govt.nz/page/investor-migrants?utm_term=new%20zealand%20golden%20visa&utm_campaign=AIP+FY4:+NZ/AU+Investor+Visa&utm_source=adwords&utm_medium=ppc&hsa_acc=7812403064&hsa_cam=21464967502&hsa_grp=161809492502&hsa_ad=705500492554&hsa_src=g&hsa_tgt=kwd-899324140543&hsa_kw=new%20zealand%20golden%20visa&hsa_mt=b&hsa_net=adwords&hsa_ver=3&gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAiAlPu9BhAjEiwA5NDSA8n-x4lpF2-u-aV-PvDexwESDHT61_9AYyz152E2O8D-NO0mk7pYiBoCxPoQAvD_BwE

About Active Investor Plus
New Zealand welcomes experienced, skilled investors to contribute to the growth of New Zealand economy, via the Active Investor Plus visa.

From 1 April 2025, the updated visa requires investor applicants to:

Choose between two investment categories: Growth or Balanced, offering a broad range of investment options

Meet minimum investment amounts of: $5 million for Growth and $10 million for Balanced categories

Most EU countries have around 500,000 investment. The US already has an 800,000 investment. I don't think Trump can eliminate the current investment requirements without congress. Could he possibly create a "new class" via an EO? Regs would need to be written etc....

[cstanleytech]

83. I wish I had that kind money as I'd do it in a heartbeat then at this point.

[ToxMarz]

63. I can only imagine Trump and the Repukes will consider

campaign contributions as qualifying investments for creating (their) jobs.

[Skittles]

64. STEP RIGHT UP!

HE'S A FUCKING CARNIVAL BARKER

[Aussie105]

65. Reminded me of Christopher Charles Skase.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christopher_Skase

Failed stockbroker, failed businessman.

Fled Australia rather than face the music.

Took a lot of money with him to Majorca, bought a nice villa, probably helped the local employment figures with house staff.

Australian government tried to get him back, but no luck.

I guess Trump wants to attract such people.

[IthinkThereforeIAM]

67. For Eloon's Afrikaner friends...

... came across a report of Eloon pushing for more immigration from South Africa. Well, there you have it.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/elon-musk-backs-race-based-125757533.html

[Montauk6]

71. He's auctioning off this country's dignity for pennies on the dollar

[Passages]

72. Surreal ? No, just Trump working on the next grift.

It is shameful that we lost twice to a con man.

[mathematic]

76. Wealth based visas already exist, exist in many country people emmigrate to, and are not evil

Holy shit, just because Trump says a thing doesn't mean you have to opposed to it. Trump routinely takes existing programs and ideas, slaps his dumb branding on it and declares that he solved some problem.

The actual reason to oppose this is because it raises the wealth amount of the existing EB-5 visa, which is too bad because inflation had made that number a lot less onerous.

Give us your tired, your poor, your huddled masses, and, yes, your rich chinese businessmen yearning to be free. Sometimes I get the sense here that people like immigrants for the same reason the Catholic Church likes big families: more souls to save.

[wendyb-NC]

77. That's is so disgusting.

[Omnipresent]

79. Plus, He'll throw in an all expenses paid trip to vegas..

With slovanian escorts that look like teenagers! 👀

[underpants]

80. I've got a golden ticket ......

 

[kacekwl]

81. We all know

Wealthy don't create jobs as shown by the latest lay offs and certainly don't pay taxes.

[Evolve Dammit]

86. Lady Liberty weeps again. We are becoming a grotesque version of "America."