Trump Administration Approves One Gold Card Visa

The Trump administration has approved just one application under its Gold Card visa program, which offers expedited U.S. residency to wealthy noncitizens for a $1 million contribution, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick disclosed during congressional testimony on Thursday.

The program, launched through a presidential executive order last September, allows eligible foreigners to obtain employment-based green cards after paying the contribution and a $15,000 processing fee to the Department of Homeland Security. Businesses sponsoring foreign employees must contribute $2 million. Applicants undergo a background check by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services before receiving the visa, which features a gold-colored card and permits living and working in the United States, with a potential path to citizenship. The Department of Homeland Security oversees the process in coordination with the Commerce and State departments.

Lutnick, testifying before a House Appropriations subcommittee on the fiscal 2027 budget, said the single approval occurred recently after the application process was finalized. "They have approved, recently, one person, and there are hundreds in the queue," he...