The gold card visa program, announced in February 2025, grants employment-based green cards for a $1 million payment to the U.S. government, regardless of merit. Businesses seeking visas for foreign employees must pay $2 million. Trump described the card as 'a green card on steroids', saying: 'Rich people will come to our country by buying this card. They will be wealthy, they will be successful, and they will spend a lot of money, pay a lot of taxes and hire many people.'
Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick initially claimed 200,000 people were lining up to pay $1 million each for the gold card. In a podcast shortly after launch, according to Expressen, Lutnick described having sold 1,000 cards. However, more than a year later, only one card has been approved. Lutnick later stated there are 'hundreds in the queue' who paid the $15,000 application fee. A website to accept applications was launched in December 2025. Lutnick also stated in December 2025 that he wanted to raise $1 trillion from selling the cards.
This is a new program, and they've just set it up, and they wanted to make sure they did it perfectly. It's a DHS program done with a rigorous, rigorous vetting.
The identity of the approved applicant is unclear, but Expressen reports it is likely rapper Nicki Minaj, who received the card for free. A federal lawsuit challenges the program, claiming it prioritizes wealth over intellect or ability and is an illegal revenue-generating scheme. The lawsuit is supported by Democracy Defenders Fund, co-founded by Norm Eisen. According to The Independent - Main, Eisen described the program as prioritizing money over traditional immigration values.
I sold a thousand cards yesterday.
There are hundreds in the queue.
Rich people will come to our country by buying this card. They will be wealthy, they will be successful, and they will spend a lot of money, pay a lot of taxes and hire many people.