American President Donald Trump, known for making one bold decision after another and creating a stir worldwide, has announced a "Gold Card" scheme for investors. This new scheme will replace the investor visa that was in place three years ago. Under this scheme, individuals who invest $5 million (approximately ₹43 crore) will be granted a visa, paving the way for them to obtain US citizenship. The "Trump Gold Card" scheme will be launched within two weeks, replacing the existing EB-5 visa. The EB-5 program was introduced by the US Congress in 1990. 8,000 people obtained investor visas in the twelve months leading up to September 30, 2022. A 2021 study by the US Congress found that the EB-5 visa programme posed risks of fraud and raised concerns regarding fund verification. However, the Trump administration has not specified how many jobs investors will be required to create under the "Gold Card" programme. With this initiative, the Trump administration has opened a "golden pathway" to US citizenship for wealthy and intelligent individuals. However, this route to US citizenship is exclusively for industrialists and millionaires ” and it comes at a very high cost.
