US President Donald Trump has announced new measures to attract wealthy investors to the United States. The plan, which is expected to be launched in two weeks, involves the introduction of a new visa option, dubbed the “Gold Card.” This unlimited visa will be available for a fee of around five million US dollars, similar to the “Green Card” but with additional privileges, including a pathway to US citizenship.
According to Trump, the target audience for this new visa option will be “rich and successful people” who will spend a lot of money, pay a lot of taxes and create jobs. The potential revenue from the sale of these visas is estimated to be substantial, with Trump suggesting that the sale of 10 million visas could generate 50 billion US dollars, which would help to reduce the country’s debt of around 35 billion US dollars.
US Trade Secretary Howard Lutnick clarified that the “Gold Card” will replace the existing EB-5 visa program, which has been plagued by “misconceptions, fantasies and fraud.” Lutnick emphasized that the new visa program will be designed to attract “world-class individuals” who will invest in the US and help reduce the country’s deficit.
When asked if Russian oligarchs might be eligible for the new visa program, Trump replied that it was not ruled out and that he knows some Russian oligarchs who are “very nice people.