 "Trump stated that the sale of these cards would begin in around two weeks. AP/File Photo")
US President Donald Trump has said that American companies can now hire Indian graduates from US universities through the new ‘gold card’ citizenship initiative.
Trump emphasised that the current immigration system has blocked top international talent, especially from India, from working and living in the US.
“A person comes from India, China, Japan, lots of different places, and they go to Harvard, the Wharton School of Finance. They are made job offers, but the offer is immediately rescinded because you have no idea whether that person can stay in the country,” he said.
Speaking about the consequences of this policy, Trump acknowledged that many talented graduates who were forced to leave the US ended up becoming successful entrepreneurs in their home countries.
Trump said that Indians “are very productive” and often return to India after failing to secure jobs due to visa-related issues.
“They go back to India, or they go back to the country where they came from, and they open up a company, and they become billionaires. They’re employing thousands of people,” Trump said.
Trump’s gold card
Trump has unveiled a new “gold card” programme that allows foreigners to obtain US citizenship by contributing at least $5 million.
This initiative aims to reduce the national debt by attracting wealthy individuals to the country. The proposed “gold card” would replace the existing EB-5 visa programme, which currently requires a minimum investment of $800,000 and has an annual cap of 10,000 participants.
Impact Shorts
More ShortsA premium version of Green Card
Trump’s ‘Gold Card’ can be seen as a premium version of the Green Card, offering wealthy businesspeople an easier route to US residency and citizenship.
However, experts argue that implementing this new programme would require congressional approval, posing a significant hurdle for the administration.