U.S. Immigration Alerts

Trump Administration Launches Gold Card Program

On December 10, 2025, the Trump Administration formally launched its long-anticipated Gold Card program, creating a new route to U.S. permanent residence based on substantial financial contributions to the U.S. Treasury. The program permits foreign nationals to obtain green cards through the EB-1 Extraordinary Ability or EB-2 National Interest Waiver categories after completing mandatory donations and government processing fees. Newly released details on the TrumpCard.gov website confirm that not only principal applicants, but also their dependent spouses and children, must each make the required donations and pay the processing fees, dramatically increasing the overall cost of participation.

Key Points

• Donation-Based Eligibility for Permanent Residence: The Gold Card program allows a foreign national to qualify for a green card through a major donation to the U.S. Treasury—$1 million for individual filers and $2 million for corporate-sponsored cases. These donations support eligibility under either EB-1 extraordinary ability or EB-2 National Interest Waiver categories.
• High Fees for Dependents: Newly released guidance indicates that each dependent family member of the principal applicant—spouses and children under 21—must also make a separate $1 million donation and pay a nonrefundable $15,000 processing fee. This is the first formal confirmation that dependents carry nearly the same financial requirements as the principal applicant.
• $15,000 DHS Processing Fee Required Per Person: Before filing the Gold Card petition, applicants will be directed to pay a $15,000 Department of Homeland Security processing fee for every individual included in the case. Payments are submitted through pay.gov and may be made using credit cards or U.S.-based ACH transfers.
• No Paper Filing Allowed for I-140G: Petitioners must file Form I-140G—Immigrant Petition for the Gold Card Program—online through a USCIS account. USCIS will use this filing to vet the lawful source of the donated funds before allowing the donation to proceed.
• Mandatory Donation Following Fund Vetting: Once USCIS confirms the legitimacy of the funds, applicants will receive instructions to submit their $1 million or $2 million donation to the U.S. Treasury. Only after Treasury confirms receipt may USCIS approve the I-140G petition.
• Final Step Requires Consular Processing Overseas: After I-140G approval and once a visa number becomes available, applicants must complete the DS-260G immigrant visa application and attend an in-person interview at a U.S. consulate abroad. There is no current confirmation on whether applicants already inside the U.S. may use adjustment of status instead of consular processing.

What US Employers Need to Know 

• Corporate Sponsorship Requires a $2 Million Donation: Employers sponsoring foreign nationals through the Gold Card program must commit to a $2 million Treasury donation, separate from the required $15,000 DHS processing fee per applicant. This cost increases significantly when dependents are included.
• Strict Online Filing and Vetting Procedures: Employers need to prepare for an entirely digital filing process, including mandatory USCIS online accounts and electronic submission of Form I-140G. The source-of-funds vetting process may require supporting documentation that employers should gather early.
• Consular Processing May Extend Timelines: Because the government has not clarified whether adjustment of status will be available, corporate applicants should assume that employees will need to depart the U.S. for consular interviews. This could create delays of several months depending on consular post workload.
• Overall Processing Could Take Longer Than Advertised: Although the government states that processing “should take weeks,” this estimate is vague and does not account for consular processing timelines, which are often lengthy. Employers should avoid promising rapid green card issuance to prospective employees.
• Financial Liability Extends to Employees’ Families: With dependents required to make separate $1 million donations and pay their own fees, employers should expect that sponsored employees may face substantial financial decisions before moving forward with the program.

The Gold Card program represents an unprecedented shift in U.S. immigration policy, tying green card eligibility directly to multi-million-dollar financial contributions. With steep donation and fee requirements for both principal applicants and their dependents, as well as a multi-layered vetting and consular process, the program is likely to appeal only to a narrow group of high-net-worth individuals and corporate sponsors. As implementation advances, employers and prospective applicants should carefully evaluate the full financial and procedural obligations before pursuing this path to permanent residence.

SOURCE: trumpcard.gov