People who want to acquire a US residence permit and quickly become American citizens can now do that by paying 5 million US dollars (approximately 2.8 billion CFA francs) under President Donald Trump‘s new Gold Card visa, which targets wealthy foreigners.
On Thursday, June 12, Trump announced that applications are now open for the new visa dubbed “The Trump Card”.
“FOR FIVE MILLION $DOLLARS, THE TRUMP CARD IS COMING!” Trump posted on his social media channel, Truth Social.
“Thousands have been calling and asking how they can sign up to ride a beautiful road in gaining access to the Greatest Country and Market anywhere in the World.”
Interested applicants were asked to register on the government-run website, trumpcard.gov, which had gone live.
The Gold Card will permit owners to be able to live permanently and work in the United States. However, Trump said the card does not grant immediate US citizenship to beneficiaries but fast-tracks the process for them to acquire citizenship.
He tabled this explanation after some US lawmakers said such a major change in the US citizenship policy would require approval from Congress.
Trump first announced the card in February this year from his Oval office in the White House.
“We’re going to be selling a gold card. You have a green card. This is a gold card,” he said.
“We’re going to be putting a price on that card of about $5 million and that’s going to give you green card privileges, plus it’s going to be a route to citizenship. And wealthy people will be coming into our country by buying this card.”
The Gold Card will replace the US Government’s EB-5 immigrant investor visa program which allowed foreign investors to immigrate to the US after funding projects that create jobs for Americans.
