Donald Trump has introduced a new route for eligible immigrants to attain US citizenship, offering a means to bypass the typically lengthy processing times.
The announcement was made by the President during a televised roundtable meeting at the White House on Wednesday. This newly proposed pathway to US citizenship, however, comes with a significant cost.
Traditionally, acquiring US citizenship involves obtaining a green card, a process that is both legally intricate and time-consuming, with durations ranging from a few months to several years, depending on the specific type of green card (family, employment, asylum, etc.) and the applicant’s country of origin.
With the new proposal, affluent individuals have the opportunity to bypass the immigration queue entirely by acquiring a ‘gold card,’ which serves to expedite the citizenship process.
The gold card is primarily aimed at millionaires and billionaires, with individual costs beginning at $1 million and $2 million for corporations. The substantial funds raised are intended for the federal government.
“It could be a tremendous amount of money,” Trump stated from the Roosevelt Room at the White House.
Along with the $1 million payment, individual applicants are required to undergo a background check and pay a $15,000 filing fee.
For corporate applicants, there is an additional requirement of a 1% annual maintenance fee of $20,000, along with a 5% transfer fee of $100,000 each time the visa is transferred between employees.
Another initiative, the ‘Platinum card,’ is set to be launched soon, offering the ability to reside in the US for 270 days (approximately nine months) without tax obligations, given a $5 million fee is paid for this privilege.
This new path to citizenship and Trump’s enthusiasm for the policy contrasts with his recent stringent immigration measures, which focused on mass deportations and targeting immigrant communities under the pretense of deporting ‘criminal migrants.’
Following the announcement, the White House initiated online applications for this new citizenship route, with Trump promoting it as a mechanism for US companies to hire foreign students.
Tim Cook, CEO of Apple, has emphasized that many major corporations are hesitant to hire foreign students and graduates due to uncertainties regarding their ability to remain in the US.
Trump asserted that the new gold card will provide a solution to this issue. “You’ll be able to buy a card and keep that person in the United States,” he mentioned to reporters.