In just a few days, the so-called Gold Card in United States went from being a political announcement to becoming one of the most talked-about topics in the immigration system. The idea is easy to summarize but complex to evaluate: a fast track to permanent residence in exchange for a seven-figure contribution to the federal government, at a time when control is tightening for most other migrants.

The program was formally created through a presidential order in September 2025, instructing agencies to design an expedited path to residence for those who make a substantial “gift” to the state. That framework became concrete in December 2025 with the launch of the official TrumpCard.gov portal and the start of applications to the Trump Gold Card Program, presented as a fast route to lawful permanent residence in United States in exchange for a direct financial contribution. From that moment on, the Gold Card in United States stopped being an abstract proposal and became an operational program with its own rules, amounts and forms.

What is the Gold Card in United States?

In practice, the Gold Card in United States functions as a residence-by-contribution program. For individual applications, the overall sequence looks like this: first, the applicant pays a 15,000-dollar processing fee to the Department of Homeland Security; that payment triggers an accelerated background and security review. If the result is favorable, the government requires a 1,000,000-dollar “gift”, which is non-refundable and treated as proof that the applicant will bring a substantial economic benefit to United States. Once that contribution has been made and the review is complete, the applicant becomes a lawful permanent resident through an EB-1 or EB-2 classification, with a later path to citizenship, subject to the usual requirements.

The program also has a corporate track, the Trump Corporate Gold Card, aimed at companies that want to sponsor foreign talent. In that case, the company pays a 15,000-dollar fee per worker and, if the case moves forward, a 2,000,000-dollar gift per employee. One controversial feature is that this contribution can be “recycled”: if the company stops sponsoring a worker, it can reuse the same contribution as the basis for another employee in the future, paying a 1% annual maintenance fee and a 5% transfer fee, which includes a new background check.

The comparison with the old EB-5 category is inevitable. Under that program, applicants had to invest 800,000 or 1,000,000 dollars in projects that created jobs and hold that investment for several years to consolidate their residence. With the Gold Card in United States, the focus shifts: instead of creating verifiable jobs, the core requirement is a direct payment to the Treasury, with no obligation to operate a specific business or prove job creation. International media have described it as a kind of North American “golden visa”: an accelerated path to residence in exchange for a seven-figure contribution, aimed at a very narrow, high-net-worth segment.

Benefits, risks and key questions before considering the Gold Card in United States

From a potential applicant’s perspective, the apparent benefits of the Gold Card in United States are easy to spot: a faster path to residence, less dependence on a particular employer or a market-driven investment project, and the possibility of structuring the family’s next steps with more calm after residency is granted. The administration has also emphasized the fiscal appeal of the program, highlighting thousands of pre-registrations and projecting billions of dollars in contributions if enough Gold Cards are issued each year.

However, for any individual or family considering transferring 1,000,000 dollars (or more, in the case of a full household), the analysis cannot stop at the promise of speed. The first critical issue is the legal stability of the program. The Gold Card in United States is grounded in an executive order and in the Executive Branch’s authority to administer the EB-1 and EB-2 categories, but many immigration experts have warned that it is likely to face litigation, especially if it is seen as creating, in practice, a new pathway to residence that Congress has not expressly designed. For anyone putting that amount of capital at stake, the uncertainty of a possible court challenge or regulatory shift is not a minor concern.

The second issue involves reputational risk and compliance. Observers have pointed out that, while other immigration channels are being tightened and further restrictions are being debated, a preferential door is being opened for ultra-high-net-worth individuals willing to pay for the Gold Card in United States. There are also questions about anti-money-laundering controls and the quality of due diligence on the source of funds in a scheme that, by design, revolves around large, direct transfers to the state. Any business family or corporate group must consider not only whether they technically qualify for the program, but also how this decision will be perceived by banks, partners, regulators and public opinion in their home country.

A third element is everything the Gold Card in United States does not resolve on its own. The Gold Card does not remove the need for a clear international tax strategy, it does not replace estate planning, it does not reorganize corporate structures in Latin America and it does not answer basic questions such as where it makes sense to be a tax resident, how to shield assets against future creditors or how to align wills, trusts and shareholders’ agreements across jurisdictions. In many high-net-worth structures, becoming a resident in United States means entering a tax environment where global income —and eventually inheritance and gift transfers— may be subject to scrutiny far beyond the card itself.

For that reason, from a serious cross-border wealth planning perspective, the Gold Card in United States should not be viewed as an “irresistible offer”, but as one option among several possible immigration and corporate routes. The strategic conversation rarely begins with the question of whether “the million is affordable”; it usually starts by asking what other immigration paths that person or family might have (talent-based, employment-based, productive investment, family), how their assets are structured across countries, what residency would mean for their overall tax position and what legal and reputational risks are involved in choosing such a new and visible program.

At LOIGICA®, a conversation with a client interested in the Gold Card in United States does not start from the form or the payment. It starts from the full map: immigration strategy, corporate structure, tax planning and asset protection. Only with that context is it possible to determine whether the Gold Card in United States is a coherent option, or whether other alternatives offer a better balance of cost, timing and long-term stability, such as investment visas tied to real businesses, EB-1 or EB-2 categories based on professional merit, or combined strategies across employment, talent and wealth.