By Enyichukwu Enemanna
US President Donald Trump has unveiled a $5 million ‘gold card’ featuring his face, exclusively designed for wealthy immigrants seeking to make the United States their permanent home.
People “of wealth or people of great talent” will be able to purchase the new “green-card-privileges-plus” in the hope of creating jobs and boosting economic growth, said the Republican President, who has made the campaign against illegal migration a key agenda of his administration.
Trump’s unveiling of the “gold card” comes as stock markets around the world slumped in response to his sweeping set of tariffs on Wednesday, which he argued would enable the US to thrive economically.
The move also marks a departure from the current EB-5 programme, which stipulates that foreigners can only receive the card if they “make the necessary investment in a commercial enterprise in the United States” and intend to generate or sustain 10 full-time jobs.
Enacted by Congress under President George H.W. Bush, the scheme has been criticised by Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, who described it as “full of nonsense, make-believe and fraud”.
The US offers various visa categories for foreigners wishing to live and work in the country, each with its own set of requirements.
Trump, however says his gold card, bearing his image is intended to attract “very high level people”, including “big taxpayers”.
He said applicants wishing to acquire the card must undergo strict vetting to ensure they are “wonderful, world-class global citizens”.
Speaking about the visa, the former real estate tycoon told journalists aboard Air Force One on Thursday: “For $5 million, this could be yours.
“That was the first of the cards. You know what that card is?
“It’s the gold card — the Trump card.” He claimed he was the first buyer of the card.
