Trump Gold Card Visa 2026 - Cost, Process and How to Apply

What is the Trump Gold Card?

Executive Order 14351 was signed September 19, 2025. Applications opened December 18, 2025 at trumpcard.gov. The Gold Card is NOT a separate visa category - it uses the existing EB-1 and EB-2 green card framework but substitutes a $1,000,000 government donation for traditional evidence of extraordinary ability or national interest.

Petitions are filed on the new Form I-140G (Immigrant Petition for Gold Card Program), which is online-only. Mail filing is not accepted. The donation IS the evidence - there is no separate proof of achievement required.

Three Tiers: Gold, Corporate, and Platinum

Total cost breakdown

Each family member requires their own $1M gift and $15K fee. A family of 4 totals over $4M all-in. This is NOT a bargain immigration program.

Step-by-step application process

1. Register an account at trumpcard.gov. Provide biographical details, supporting identification, and pay the $15,000 DHS processing fee.
2. DHS security vetting begins. Background check, anti-money laundering screening, and fraud review run in parallel.
3. Once cleared, USCIS opens your case in the online portal. Sign in to your USCIS account and file Form I-140G.
4. Source-of-funds review: prove the $1M gift comes from lawful sources (employment income, business sale, inheritance, investment returns).
5. Make the $1M gift to the US Department of Treasury via ACH or international SWIFT wire. Keep the wire confirmation.
6. USCIS approves the I-140G under EB-1 or EB-2 category.
7. Adjust status: outside the US, file DS-260G at a consulate for an immigrant visa. Inside the US, file Form I-485 adjustment of status.
8. Green card issued. The official website states 'in record time' but no statutory timeline applies - per-country caps still govern visa number availability.

Despite the 'expedited' branding, Gold Card petitions still depend on EB visa number availability. Per-country caps apply identically to traditional EB-1 and EB-2 filings.

Gold Card vs EB-5 Investor Visa

EB-5 returns your investment (if the project succeeds). Gold Card is a permanent $1M loss. But Gold Card has no job-creation requirement and potentially faster vetting since no business plan review is required.

Gold Card vs traditional EB-1A and EB-2 NIW

If you qualify for traditional EB-1A based on your achievements, you save over $1M. The Gold Card is designed for people who do NOT meet traditional extraordinary ability criteria. For the standard self-petition path see H-1B alternatives guide and H-1B to green card guide.

Who is actually applying?

Early applicant profiles (per industry attorneys and Trump Organization briefings):

• High-net-worth individuals from Gulf states (UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar) who already hold UAE Golden Visas
• Chinese and Indian industrialists seeking secondary residency
• Tech entrepreneurs seeking US market access without H-1B exposure
• Family offices diversifying their residency portfolio (Cyprus, Portugal, UAE, US)
• Corporate sponsors paying $2M Corporate Gold Card for key executive hires

The Gold Card overlaps with Dubai's 10-year Golden Visa and similar residency-by-investment programs. See how to move to Dubai for the Gulf-side comparison.

Platinum Card: The $5M Tax-Free Option

The Platinum Card is announced but not yet live. As of May 2026, only a waitlist is accepting expressions of interest at trumpcard.gov.

• $5,000,000 contribution
• Non-immigrant status: up to 270 days per year in the US
• Non-US income EXEMPT from US taxation
• No green card, no citizenship path
• Requires congressional approval - Executive Order alone is insufficient because it affects the federal tax code

Join the waitlist if interested, but do not plan around it. The Platinum Card may never launch in its proposed form.

Risks and concerns

• The $1M gift is non-refundable even if your I-140G is denied
• The $15,000 processing fee is non-refundable
• Per-country caps still apply - India and China applicants may face backlogs
• No statutory timeline for 'expedited' processing
• Legal challenges to the program from immigration advocacy groups
• Source-of-funds scrutiny under bank secrecy and AML compliance rules
• Full US tax obligation on worldwide income as a permanent resident
• Renunciation of green card later requires an Exit Tax filing if net worth exceeds $2M

Corporate Gold Card: For Employers

Corporate Gold Card lets a US company sponsor a green card for a critical executive at $2,000,000 per employee.

• Transferable: if the employee leaves, the company can transfer the card to a new employee for a 5% transfer fee and a fresh security background check
• Annual maintenance: 1% of the original gift
• Best use case: companies that would otherwise spend years trying to win H-1B lotteries or run PERM for an irreplaceable executive

At $2M, the Corporate Gold Card is cheaper than 20 unsuccessful H-1B lottery attempts for a key hire. For corporations with deep pockets and urgent needs, the math can work.

How this fits the immigration landscape

The Gold Card sits alongside the 2026 OBBBA fee increases, the H-1B weighted lottery, the 75-country immigrant visa freeze, and the proposed End H-1B Visa Abuse Act. Together they signal a clear policy direction: the US wants wealthy and highly credentialed immigrants, while restricting working-class and middle-skilled immigration.

• Wealthy individuals: Gold Card, EB-5, traditional EB-1A. See 75-country freeze report for context on parallel restrictions.
• Working professionals: H-1B alternatives now matter more than ever. See H-1B alternatives 2026.
• Comparison to global residency-by-investment: UAE Golden Visa ($273K via property), Portugal Golden Visa (under reform), Singapore Global Investor Program ($10M+), UK Innovator Founder

The Gold Card creates a two-tier system: fast-track for the wealthy, extended backlogs for everyone else.

Should you apply?

A decision framework:

• Net worth above $10M and you want US residency: Gold Card may be worth considering
• You qualify for EB-1A traditionally: save $1M, file the standard I-140 with premium processing
• You want an investment return: EB-5 returns your money - Gold Card does not
• You want tax benefits: wait for Platinum Card (if it launches) or stay non-US-resident
• You are an employer with critical hires: Corporate Gold Card may be cheaper than years of H-1B/PERM

Run the Eligibility Checker to see whether traditional EB-1A or EB-2 NIW is achievable for your profile before committing to a $1M non-refundable gift.