President Donald Trump launched a website last week for his proposed $5 million immigration program that would grant wealthy foreign nationals a pathway to US permanent residency, drawing about 15,000 initial sign-ups despite legal questions about the program’s viability.
The website at trumpcard.gov allows people to register interest in what Trump calls the “Trump Card,” a rebranding of the “gold card” immigration program he announced in February. The program would require a $5 million payment in exchange for permanent residency rights similar to a green card and a pathway to citizenship.
“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,” Trump wrote Wednesday on Truth Social.
However, no legal framework exists for the program. Immigration attorneys say creating new visa categories typically requires congressional approval, and no legislation has been introduced to authorize the Trump Card. The current website serves only as a mailing list, not an actual visa application.
Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said the 15,000 early registrations could represent $75 billion in potential investment. He suggested that 200,000 participants could generate $1 trillion for the government. Trump previously said he believes the US could sell 1 million cards and raise $5 trillion total.
Related: Trump Proposes $5 Million ‘Gold Card’ Visa Program to Help Pay for National Debt
The program would replace the EB-5 investor visa program, which has operated since 1990 and requires investments of approximately $1 million plus job creation commitments. Lutnick has criticized EB-5 as “full of nonsense, make believe and fraud.”
The initiative comes amid growing international skepticism of “golden passport” programs. Authorities have raised concerns about potential corruption and security risks in citizenship-by-investment schemes, leading several countries to discontinue similar programs.
While the administration has expanded deportation operations and imposed new restrictions on asylum processing, the Trump Card would allow wealthy applicants to secure permanent residency within months by payment alone, without the employment requirements, lengthy background checks, or years-long waiting periods that apply to most other immigration pathways.
The administration has provided no timeline for when the program might actually begin accepting applications or what specific requirements applicants would need beyond the $5 million payment.
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