Trump Proposes “Gold Card” to Wealthy Foreigners to Buy US Citizenship

President Donald Trump has revealed a proposal, on Tuesday, to sell a “gold card” to wealthy foreigners, which would provide them with the ability to work and live in the United States and provide a path to citizenship. The card would cost $5 million and feature green card privileges, along with a path to being an American citizen. Trump said sales would begin in about two weeks, and he projected millions of these cards would be sold.

The new plan would replace the EB-5 immigrant investor visa program, which provides U.S. residency to foreign investors by investing in U.S. companies that create employment. The EB-5 program requires an investment of a minimum of $1.05 million or $800,000 in economically distressed areas.

Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said the new gold card would also be screened to ensure that buyers are “wonderful world-class global citizens.” Trump also suggested he would consider selling the gold card to Russian oligarchs, saying he has some who are “very nice people.”

The concept has caused controversy, with critics calling its fairness into question and questioning how it could be abused.