October DealsAmazon USOctober deal check: compare before you payAmazon US: current deals, useful picks and tech finds.Check DealsClean PCRecommendedOne scan can reveal what keeps slowing WindowsLook for cleanup and repair opportunities.Run ScanOctober DealsAmazon USDeal season is back - check today's better picksAmazon US: current deals, useful picks and tech finds.See Picks×
Skip to content
The Finance Base
immigrant visa

Trump Gold Card: What the $1 Million Visa Program Does—and Doesn’t—Offer

The Trump Gold Card is an application path that may lead to permanent residence, not guaranteed entry. Here are its listed fees, process, eligibility limits and tax implications.

By TheFinanceBase Team 5 min read
Special offer. See more information about Outbyte and uninstall instructions. Please review EULA and Privacy policy.

The Trump Gold Card is an application route that may lead to U.S. lawful permanent residence—not a guaranteed visa or permission to enter simply in exchange for $1 million. The current official program FAQ lists a nonrefundable $15,000 Department of Homeland Security (DHS) processing fee, followed by a $1 million gift after successful vetting. Applicants must still qualify, be admissible and have an immigrant visa available.

What does the $1 million Trump Gold Card actually buy?

According to the current Trump Gold Card program FAQ, an individual applicant pays a nonrefundable $15,000 DHS processing fee to apply. After the government completes vetting successfully, the applicant is asked to make a $1 million gift. Additional State Department fees may apply. The FAQ describes the gift as evidence that the applicant will substantially benefit the United States.

The program page says a successful applicant may receive lawful permanent resident status through an EB-1 or EB-2 visa classification, as DHS determines and subject to visa availability. That is a possible adjudicated immigration outcome, not an automatic exchange of money for a visa, green card or admission at the border.

The executive order signed September 19, 2025, sets out the program framework: it directs agencies to treat qualifying gifts as evidence of eligibility under specified EB-1 and EB-2 provisions, including national-interest-waiver eligibility. It also preserves applicable legal requirements and visa-number limits. The order says it creates no enforceable right or benefit for an individual; it does not itself grant a visa.

Special offer. See more information about Outbyte and uninstall instructions. Please review EULA and Privacy policy.

Who may qualify, and what can prevent approval?

The official program FAQ says applicants must be eligible for lawful permanent residence, admissible to the United States and able to obtain an available visa. A gift alone does not establish that every requirement has been met. DHS determines the appropriate EB-1 or EB-2 classification, and the executive order retains screening for public-safety and national-security concerns.

The FAQ warns that applicants from a small number of countries may face waits of a year or more. The order also retains statutory visa-number limits, so timing and availability are not assured by paying the fee or making the gift.

Rank #2
Sale
The Psychology of Money: Timeless lessons on wealth, greed, and happiness
  • Ideal for Gifting
  • Ideal for a bookworm
  • Compact for travelling

How the application process works

  1. Submit the online application and initial fee. The current program FAQ lists a nonrefundable $15,000 DHS processing fee for an individual application.
  2. Complete the immigrant petition and provide documents. The program page says USCIS emails instructions for completing Form I-140G with supporting documentation after the initial submission.
  3. Wait for government vetting. DHS reviews the application. The program page says the applicant is asked to submit the $1 million gift only after successful vetting.
  4. Complete any further steps. A visa interview and additional documents or fees may be required, according to the FAQ.
  5. Receive a decision subject to immigration rules. The program page describes an EB-1 or EB-2 permanent-resident outcome if the applicant is approved and a visa is available.

The program page estimates that processing should take weeks after the fee and application are received, provided the applicant responds promptly. That is the government’s estimate, not a guaranteed decision deadline or a published record of actual processing times.

What are the costs for an individual, a family or a company?

The table reflects amounts listed in the current Trump Gold Card FAQ, which displays no publication date. The individual and corporate totals below add the listed processing fee and gift; they exclude any additional State Department charges and other costs not specified by the FAQ.

Special offer. See more information about Outbyte and uninstall instructions. Please review EULA and Privacy policy.
Route Published processing fee Gift after vetting Other listed charges
Individual applicant $15,000 per application; nonrefundable $1 million Additional State Department fees may apply
Corporate applicant for an employee $15,000 per employee $2 million per employee 1% annual maintenance fee and 5% transfer fee for the corporate card; additional State Department fees may apply
Each included spouse or unmarried child under 21 Additional $15,000 per family member Additional $1 million per family member Additional State Department fees may apply

For an individual with no dependents, the listed fee plus gift comes to $1.015 million before any State Department charges. Under the FAQ’s terms, each eligible family member adds another $1.015 million in listed fee and gift amounts. The corporate route lists $2.015 million per employee before the annual maintenance fee, transfer fee or any additional State Department charges.

The FAQ says a spouse and unmarried children under 21 should be included in the initial application. It does not describe the listed family-member charges as a single household fee; each family member has a separate additional fee and gift amount.

Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Support on Ko-Fi

Does the Gold Card mean U.S. citizenship or unrestricted entry?

No. The program FAQ describes a possible outcome of lawful permanent resident status, not citizenship. The official materials do not say that payment alone guarantees approval or admission. Applicants remain subject to eligibility decisions, admissibility requirements, government screening and visa availability.

That distinction matters for anyone reading claims that the card “allows entry”: the government describes an application and adjudication process. A person should not treat the gift as a purchase price for a guaranteed visa or a guaranteed right to cross the U.S. border.

What’s actually slowing this PC down?

Pick the symptom - the matching free tool is one click away.

Special offer. See more information about Outbyte and uninstall instructions. Please review EULA and Privacy policy.
Best Value
Sale
I Will Teach You to Be Rich: No Guilt. No Excuses. Just a 6-Week Program That Works (Second Edition)
  • It can be a gift option
  • Comes with secure packaging
  • Helpful in various ways

What are the tax implications?

The current program FAQ says Gold Card permanent residents are subject to U.S. tax, including on income earned outside the United States. Anyone weighing the program against their present tax residence should get advice from a qualified U.S. international tax professional before applying; the FAQ’s statement is not an individualized tax assessment.

The FAQ separately labels the proposed Platinum Card “Coming Soon.” It is not the Gold Card and, according to the FAQ, had not been released as of October 4, 2026. The Platinum proposal’s tax description should not be substituted for the stated tax treatment of Gold Card permanent residents.

Can a Gold Card be revoked, and how is applicant information handled?

The program FAQ identifies national-security risks and significant criminal risks as grounds for revocation. Its privacy notice says information is collected to determine immigrant-visa eligibility and may be shared, where permitted, with government agencies and authorized organizations, including for law-enforcement or national-security purposes.

What is known about the program’s results?

The official program materials reviewed describe fees, application steps and the proposed eligibility framework, but do not provide a measured study establishing economic effects, an applicant success rate or realized processing times. Statements on the program site from President Donald J. Trump and Commerce Secretary Howard W. Lutnick promote the program; they are not independent evidence of its effects.

Special offer. See more information about Outbyte and uninstall instructions. Please review EULA and Privacy policy.

Quick Recap

SaleBestseller No. 1
SaleBestseller No. 2
The Psychology of Money: Timeless lessons on wealth, greed, and happiness
The Psychology of Money: Timeless lessons on wealth, greed, and happiness
Ideal for Gifting; Ideal for a bookworm; Compact for travelling
$10.99
SaleBestseller No. 5
I Will Teach You to Be Rich: No Guilt. No Excuses. Just a 6-Week Program That Works (Second Edition)
I Will Teach You to Be Rich: No Guilt. No Excuses. Just a 6-Week Program That Works (Second Edition)
It can be a gift option; Comes with secure packaging; Helpful in various ways
$9.15

Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Special offer. See more information about Outbyte and uninstall instructions. Please review EULA and Privacy policy.

More from the Money Desk

Recommended PC Tool
Recommended PC Tool
PC Slower Than It Used to Be?Free scan - under a minute
Outdated Drivers Are Slowing You DownFree scan - exact matches

Two free Windows tools

One Free Minute Could Fix That PC

Before you go - each of these free tools takes about a minute and tackles what quietly slows a Windows PC down.

Special offer. View Outbyte info, uninstall instructions, EULA, and Privacy Policy.