Those who are interested in keeping their finger on the pulse of American politics may have experienced whiplash during the last month, as Donald Trump and his new administration have clearly set out to move fast and shake up our entire political system. One new announcement from the office of the sitting president and 34-time convicted felon includes the rollout of a brand new path toward American citizenship, which Trump is calling the “gold card.” This functions similarly to a green card, save for the fact that it comes with a staggering price tag of $5 million. At this time, not much is known about Trump’s plan to launch this new immigration program, though it’s worth looking into the details in order to understand how the immigration process may be reshaped in the coming months.
Luckily, we’ve got you covered, with a comprehensive guide to Trump’s gold card announcement, as well as some speculation into how this new policy could impact America’s future. We’ll start by examining the existing paths toward citizenship, including those threatened by Trump’s unrelenting stance on border security, before unpacking how the gold card stacks up to other immigration processes around the globe. With no further preamble let’s dive right in, and see what we can learn.
What Are the Traditional Paths Toward American Citizenship?
Though our standard immigration practices seem deeply embedded in the history of the United States, border security and immigration processing are constantly in flux, and have changed many times over the course of the nation’s lifespan. Green cards, for instance, were only officially rolled out in 1940, and have undergone a variety of changes in the years since. Today, a green card is a document which, when acquired, offers permanent residency to foreign nationals who meet a variety of strict requirements. For starters, green card holders must be able to prove that they live and work within the United States, and adhere to a moral code of conduct which includes staying out of trouble with the law. This document is issued by the U.S. government and cannot be purchased, transferred or sold.
Today, more than 12 million people are green card holders, though it is important to note that this document does not provide full citizenship. Though it allows foreign nationals permanent residence under continued good standing, receiving a green card is just one in a long series of steps that must be taken to become a full-fledged American citizen. Still, the children of green card holders are given birthright citizenship when born on American soil, as outlined by the Citizenship Clause within the Fourteenth Amendment. Unfortunately, the Trump admin has announced plans to retool the laws regarding birthright citizenship, so those seeking to anchor themselves to the nation via bloodline may soon face significant challenges. Similarly, immigrants seeking asylum have been under attack from the Trump administration in recent years, despite the process originating in the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
What Is the Gold Card?
The gold card operates almost like a cross between a green card, a work visa and a buy-in citizenship program. When Trump first announced plans to create the gold card this week, he specified that it was being developed as a replacement for the EB-5 foreign investors visa, which was brought into law by the Immigration Act of 1990. This visa offers long-term employment options to immigrants seeking permanent residency and sponsors migrants temporarily until they become eligible for green card status or, in some cases, full-on citizenship. Trump appears to be flipping this entire process on its ear, by offering gold cards to foreign nationals for the price of $5 million a pop. He and his team have maligned EB-5 as having poor results, while arguing that major tech companies and American-based businesses display an overall lack of trust in the visa process.
While addressing reporters from the Oval Office, Trump further explained, “We’re gonna be selling a gold card. You have a green card, this is a gold card. We’re gonna be putting a price on that card of about $5 million and that’s gonna give you green card privileges plus. It’s gonna be a route to citizenship and wealthy people will be coming into our country by buying this card.” Vocal critics of the current administration have been quick to malign this idea as a hapless appeal to wealthy oligarchs around the world. Some have even suggested that Trump intends to roll out this plan so that he can court wealthy financiers from overseas, who may be willing to offer financial kickbacks to Trump and his crew.
Is There Precedent for Trump’s Proposed Program?
Though the United States has never offered a buy-in program like the one Trump is describing, other nations around the world do have similar immigration stipulations. At this time, no country on Earth charges a price tag quite as high as $5 million, though most nations to charge sums of several hundred to file visa documentation. Australia clocks in at the most expensive visa, at a price of just under $2,000 USD. Other nations have explicit financial clauses within their immigration forms, including Luxembourg, which requires all foreign nationals seeking permanent residence to maintain an annual salary of nearly $100,000.
Even still, Donald Trump pointed out that the gold card isn’t just for individual travelers, and can also be bought and paid for by corporations. The controversial head of state specifically cited Apple as one of the companies that may be interested in securing bright young employees from overseas, which makes sense considering Tim Cook’s recent pledge to invest $500 billion back into the American tech economy. Specifically, Trump claims that companies like Apple would have qualms with hiring EB-5 visa migrants due to the uncertainty regarding their long-term residency. If the gold card operates as the president claims, this worry would be assuaged and the corporations footing the bill for rising stars in the workforce would contribute significant funds to the American economy.
When Will the Gold Card Become Available?
Many projects from the Trump admin have had extremely flexible timelines attached to them, especially since the twice-impeached commander-in-chief has committed to so many “day one” promises. When Donald Trump first unveiled the gold card concept earlier this week, he assured reporters that the paperwork would go into motion within the next two weeks or so. It’s tough to say if that timeline is reliable, because creating this new immigration process may require a great deal of front-end infrastructure. Either way, we can expect to hear more about the gold card and other changes to our immigration structure in the coming months, as the United States continues to pivot away from the principles outlined in Emma Lazarus’ famous sonnet “The New Colossus.”
The text, which is immortalized at the base of the Statue of Liberty, famously includes the quote, “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, the wretched refuse of your teeming shore.” If the price of entry to the United States is set at $5 million and counting, it may be time to consider a new edition of Lazarus’ masterpiece.
