Washington, DC [US], September 21 (ANI): US Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick announced that US President Donald Trump's 'Gold Card' visa programme, which will provide permanent residency to individuals at USD 1 million and corporations sponsoring employees at USD 2 million, is officially live now.

Howard Lutnick reiterated that the 'Gold Card' restores US immigration policy by prioritising the interests of US citizens, allowing only the individuals and companies that will strengthen the country's economy and create jobs.

In a post on X, Lutnick mentioned the criteria to obtain the gold card, noting that all applicants will undergo rigorous vetting by the Department of Homeland Security.

'The Trump Gold Card is officially live. For USD 1M, individuals can obtain the Trump Gold Card--creating jobs and building businesses here in America. For USD 2M, corporations can purchase a Corporate Trump Gold Card for one employee. The company--not the individual--owns the card, with the option to transfer to another employee for a fee. All applicants will undergo rigorous DHS vetting, with a $15,000 processing fee paid by the applicant,' the US Secretary of Commerce said.

https://x.com/howardlutnick/status/1969455483816714728

Lutnick also mentioned that this new visa programme will replace the existing 'diversity lottery programme' which, according to him, is only designed to attract people.

'This program does not expand immigration. It will replace broken visa categories like the diversity lottery, which brings down America instead of attracting the high-earning individuals these programs were originally designed to attract,' he said.

'Instead, it brings in individuals and companies who will strengthen our economy, create jobs, and invest in America--while cutting the deficit. The Trump Gold Card restores our immigration system to its true purpose: serving the American people first,' he added.

The Trump administration has launched a premium immigration programme targeting wealthy individuals worldwide, offering US permanent residency through expensive 'Gold Cards' that could generate billions in revenue for the American Treasury.

Under the Gold Card programme, individual applicants will pay USD 1 million (approximately Rs 8.5 crore) for permanent residency, while corporations sponsoring employees will pay USD 2 million per person. The programme replaces existing employment-based green card categories EB-1 and EB-2, starting with 80,000 available visas.

Gold Card holders will be classified as 'privileged permanent residents' with full rights to live and work in the United States permanently, including a pathway to citizenship. (ANI)