Trump Launches $1 Million Gold Card Program for Permanent Residency

The Trump administration launched a $1 million "Gold Card" visa program offering wealthy foreign nationals a direct pathway to U.S. permanent residency, bypassing traditional immigration queues. The program, announced alongside steep H-1B fee hikes, was positioned as a revenue generator for the federal government. Critics argued the program created an explicit pay-to-play system that valued wealth over skills, family ties, or humanitarian need in immigration admissions.