 "US President Donald Trump unveiled the 'Gold card' visa in April. AFP/Representational image")
The US Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) has kicked off the “Gold Card” permanent residence program that will allow people to apply for lawful permanent residence in the country via a large donation to the government.
The first step USCIS has taken, in President Donald Trump’s broader immigration plan, is to send a draft version of Form I-140G to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review. The OMB’s approval is a mandatory step before the form can be formally implemented.
The agency has estimated that about 1,000 individuals may subscribe to the program each year by filling out the Form I-40G. Mitch Wexler, senior counsellor at Fragomen, a global immigration law firm, told the Times of India, “Though the draft form is an important step toward implementation of the Gold Card program, the process has not been finalised and USCIS and the Department of Commerce are not yet accepting applications.”
What are its provisions?
Under the proposal, an individual applicant would need to contribute $1 million to the US Treasury to qualify for the Gold Card permanent residence program, while corporate or employer-sponsored applicants would be required to donate $2 million.
The application fee is expected to be $15,000 per person.
The process would involve three steps:
Submit a Gold Card application to the US Department of Commerce.
Paying the non-refundable $15,000 fee through pay.gov.
Filing Form I-140G with USCIS allows the agency to evaluate the applicant’s eligibility for the new visa category and verify that the donated funds come from a lawful source.
“Once the application is approved and an immigrant visa number is available, the applicant must complete consular processing overseas through the US Department of State to be admitted as a lawful permanent resident. The draft instructions do not specify how adjustment of status (for those already in the US) will work, though that option is expected to be made available,” Wexler said.
Gold card visa
In February, Trump proposed replacing the EB-5 visa program for foreign investors with a “gold card” that could be purchased as a pathway to American citizenship.
Trump announced plans to replace the EB-5 immigrant investor visa program, which allows foreign investors to become permanent residents by investing large sums of money that create or preserve US jobs, with a “gold card.”
The EB-5 program grants green cards to foreigners who promise to invest in US businesses.
“We are going to be selling a gold card,” Trump said.
“It’s going to offer green card privileges and serve as a route to American citizenship, attracting wealthy individuals to our country by purchasing this card,” Trump added.