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## Trump Administration Launches High-Value ‘Gold Card’ Residency Program
In a major overhaul of U.S. investment immigration policy, President Donald Trump officially announced the launch of the ‘Gold Card’ program, intended to attract global talent and provide a more robust, expedited pathway to American citizenship for high-net-worth individuals.
Referred to by the President as “The Trump Card,” the new initiative monetizes permanent legal residency, replacing the long-standing EB-5 visa program. The administration has set a minimum price point of $1 million for individual applicants seeking U.S. citizenship.
According to statements made by President Trump and confirmed by foreign media reports, the Gold Card is now officially available for purchase. The investment structure is dual-tiered:
1. **Individuals:** A $1 million payment secures legal status and a subsequent route to citizenship.
2. **Corporate Sponsors:** Companies looking to bring foreign employees to the U.S. must pay $2 million per worker.
The President described the Gold Card as fundamentally similar to the traditional Green Card, but emphasized that it represents “a better, much more powerful, and very strong path” to permanent legal residency and eventual citizenship.
The dedicated website for accepting Gold Card applications went live following the President’s announcement in the White House’s Roosevelt Room during a meeting with business leaders.
This program effectively replaces the EB-5 visa scheme, which was established by the U.S. Congress in 1990 to boost foreign investment by granting residency to those who invested approximately $1 million into enterprises creating at least 10 jobs.
Trump lauded the new visa program as a vital tool for attracting and retaining the world’s best foreign talent while simultaneously serving as a significant income stream for the federal treasury. The administration predicts the program will generate billions of dollars for a specialized Treasury account, earmarked for deployment in the national interest.
President Trump, who has been promoting variations of the Gold Card concept for months—at one point suggesting a price tag as high as $5 million—stated that he has become the program’s first purchaser.
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### Global Briefs
**Geopolitical and Legal Updates:**
* **H-1B Visa Lawsuit:** Twenty U.S. states have filed a lawsuit in federal court challenging the Trump administration’s decision to impose a $100,000 fee on H-1B visas.
* **Middle East Operations:** U.S. Special Forces reportedly intercepted and seized military equipment last month from a vessel traveling from China to Iran in the Indian Ocean.
* **Gaza Reconstruction Call:** The UN Special Representative for Palestine urged countries supplying arms to Israel (specifically naming the U.S., Germany, the UK, and Italy) to now bear the financial burden of rebuilding Gaza following recent devastation.
* **Iranian Arrest:** Narges Mohammadi, the 2023 Nobel Peace Prize laureate, has been arrested by Iranian authorities.
* **Russian Strikes:** Russia attacked two Ukrainian ports, resulting in one injury.
* **Ethiopian Status Revoked:** The U.S. has terminated the Temporary Legal Status previously granted to Ethiopian migrants.
* **Israel Settlements:** Israel has moved to legalize 19 new Jewish settlements in the West Bank.
* **Regional Mediation:** President Trump announced that Thailand and Cambodia have agreed to halt all border skirmishes and attacks starting this Friday.
* **UN Appointment:** Former Iraqi President Barham Salih has been appointed as the new head of the UN Refugee Agency.
