US' “gold card” visa sees slow uptake

Only a single “gold card” — a permanent U.S. visa modeled after the green card and costing $1 million — has been issued since the program was launched at the end of 2025, U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said on Thursday, according to AFP.

His department is responsible for issuing the visa in partnership with the State Department, CE Report quotes AGERPRES.

Asked about the issue during a hearing before a House of Representatives committee, Lutnick said that “one person has recently been approved and there are a few hundred people who have begun the process” of obtaining this visa.

Announced in June, initially for individuals willing to pay $5 million, the “gold card” became a reality in mid-September after U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order, but it only came into effect at the end of the year.

The final version opens the visa to anyone willing to pay $1 million and allows permanent residency after a process of “a few weeks,” according to the dedicated government website.

A similar program, EB-5, already exists for foreign citizens who make investments of a certain amount in the United States, but according to the government — which has made tackling illegal immigration one of its priorities — it is subject to too much fraud.

Since the “gold card” remains a visa, it can be revoked for national security reasons, the official website states.