Trump Launches $5 Million Gold Card for Wealthy Migrants Including Nigerians
Former U.S. President Donald Trump has unveiled a new immigration initiative called the “gold card,” a premium version of the EB-5 visa programme aimed at wealthy foreigners, including Nigerians. The card, priced at a staggering $5 million, offers exclusive benefits that go beyond traditional green card privileges. Trump revealed the new programme to reporters aboard Air Force One, describing it as a game-changer for affluent individuals seeking faster and more advantageous pathways into the United States.
According to Trump, the card is designed to attract high-net-worth individuals willing to inject large investments directly into the U.S. economy. “For $5 million, this could be yours,” Trump said. “That was the first of the cards. You know what that card is? It’s the gold card — the Trump card.” The rollout of this high-value immigration product is expected within two weeks.
The gold card is an upscale evolution of the EB-5 visa programme, which was created in the 1990s to allow foreigners to invest around $1 million in U.S. enterprises, especially in rural or economically challenged areas, in exchange for green cards. However, the gold card eliminates previous requirements and prioritizes wealth as the main criterion for eligibility. This move signals a significant shift from employment-based immigration to investment-focused access.
The Trump administration claims that this new strategy could play a major role in reducing the United States’ massive national debt, which currently stands at over $36 trillion. U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick has stated that more than 1,000 gold cards have already been purchased globally. He estimates that 200,000 potential buyers could bring in as much as $1 trillion, which would contribute directly to paying down the national debt.
“There’s a line for EB-5 of 250,000 right now,” Lutnick noted. “200,000 of these gold green cards at $5 million each is $1 trillion to pay down our debt.” This perspective has been welcomed by some investors, who see the card as a passport to both financial growth and immigration privileges.
The gold card promises holders the freedom to work anywhere in the United States and provides a quicker pathway to permanent residency and eventual citizenship. While the traditional EB-5 visa has issued more than 135,000 visas over the past 25 years, Trump believes the new premium-tier model will outperform it significantly in both appeal and economic impact.
Trump, who jokingly noted that he was the first buyer of the gold card, said he’s not sure who will be second — but emphasized that interest is already strong. The initiative has sparked global attention, especially among high-net-worth Nigerians and other foreign nationals looking to secure U.S. residency through legal and strategic financial means.
As the programme prepares to launch, it remains to be seen how other nations, human rights groups, and immigration analysts will respond to this bold, wealth-based approach to U.S. immigration. However, for now, Trump’s gold card signals a new era of immigration policy centered on investment power.
