President Donald Trump’s 鈥済old card鈥� visa, where a foreigner can shell out at least $1 million to , has been approved for one person, said Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick Thursday 鈥� appearing to fall a bit short of an earlier claim.
After it , Lutnick said that the government had sold $1.3 billion 鈥渨orth鈥� in just several days, as Trump stood by holding up the gilded ticket and said, 鈥渆ssentially it’s the green card on steroids.鈥�
Lutnick did not address the apparent discrepancy in an exchange with a congresswoman at Thursday’s committee hearing.
Trump pushed the idea last year, initially suggesting , and arguing that it would to U.S. shores and fill out federal coffers. It’s meant to replace the EB-5 program, a decades-old program that offered U.S. visas to people who invested about $1 million in a company with at least 10 employees.
Though only one person has been approved, 鈥渢here are hundreds in the queue that they are going through,鈥� said Lutnick, appearing pleased with the program’s results, at a congressional committee hearing Thursday.
鈥淭hey鈥檝e just set it up, and they wanted to make sure they did it perfectly,鈥� he said.
A year ago, Lutnick said at a cabinet meeting that the gold card would raise $1 trillion in revenue and help 鈥渂alance the budget.鈥� The publicly held debt is $31.3 trillion and outside projections by the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget are that this fiscal year鈥檚 annual budget deficit will be roughly $2 trillion.
The commerce secretary noted that each applicant pays a $15,000 fee, on top of their million bucks, which allows for 鈥渞igorous vetting鈥� of those applying to the program that eventually opens a path to U.S. citizenship. It also allows corporations to spend $2 million for a foreign-born employee, along with a 1% annual maintenance fee.
It boasts a glitzy government website with the phrase 鈥淯nlock life in America鈥� above a depiction of a gold card: Trump鈥檚 stern visage, aside a bald eagle, the Statue of Liberty, and his squiggled signature. The website also touts the upcoming $5 million 鈥淭rump Platinum Card,鈥� which offers up to 270 days in America without being taxed on non-U. S. income.
While Trump has created a presidential identity partially around deporting immigrants without legal status, he has repeatedly supported skilled immigration to the U.S., which the gold card program could facilitate.
When asked how the proceeds will be spent, Lutnick said: 鈥淭hat will be determined by the administration, and its terms are for the betterment of the United States of America.鈥�
The idea is relatively common around the world, with dozens of countries offering versions of 鈥済olden visas鈥� to wealthy individuals, including the United Kingdom, Spain, Greece, Malta, Australia, Canada and Italy.
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