Last updated:
The Trump administration’s new gold card targets wealthy immigrants seeking US citizenship. A closer look at the costs, conditions and implications for Indians.
Despite the program’s promise of fast processing, applicants from some countries may face wait times of a year or more.
The Trump administration formally The much awaited “Gold Card” launcheda visa-based immigration The plan was first announced by the US President donald trump on September. Marketed as a premium, faster path to U.S. residency and eventual citizenship, this program allows wealthy individuals to obtain lawful permanent resident status by making a large financial contribution to the U.S. government.
On the surface, the offer appears simple: pay more, get processed faster. But the structure of the Gold Card, and the way US employment-based immigration actually works, has raised serious questions about whether the scheme offers any real benefits to Indians, who already face the longest green card waiting periods in the world.
What is Trump’s ‘gold card’?
The Gold Card has been introduced as a path for high net worth individuals to obtain legal permanent residence in the United States, commonly known as a. green cardUnder the scheme, an individual applicant will have to contribute $1 million to the US government, In addition, applicants must pay a $15,000 processing fee to the Department of Homeland Security and clear a background check,
The official portal describes the result as residence being granted “in record time”. Trump has publicly promoted the initiative as “the green card, but much better, much more powerful” and has portrayed it as a strong alternative to the traditional immigration process. He also suggested it could help American companies retain foreign talent, especially top graduates.
The Gold Card replaced the earlier investor-visa model that required foreigners to invest $1 million in a U.S. business and create at least ten jobs.
Who can apply, and what are the conditions?
According to the official Gold Card website, applicants must already be eligible for lawful permanent resident status under U.S. immigration law, be admissible to the United States, and have a visa available. The portal clarifies that the Gold Card is still a visa and can be canceled on grounds of national security or significant criminal risk.
Once approved, the Gold Card holder receives permanent resident status that is similar to applicants under the existing employment-based green card categories.
The website also acknowledges that applicants from some countries may face waiting periods of a year or more.
How much does the Gold Card cost for families?
An important point for Indian applicants is that the Gold Card is priced per individual, not per family.
Each applicant must contribute $1 million and pay a $15,000 processing fee individually. Spouses and children under 21 must be included in the application phase, and each dependent must contribute the same $1 million and pay the same processing fee.
In practical terms, this means that a family of four will have to pay at least $4 million, excluding legal and documentation expenses.
Can companies sponsor applicants?
The Gold Card framework also includes a Corporate Gold Card, whereby companies can sponsor foreign workers rather than individuals applying themselves.
Under this model, the Gold Card is issued to the corporate sponsor for one or more of its employees. To apply, the sponsoring company must pay a non-refundable $15,000 processing fee to DHS for each employee. Corporate sponsors are allowed to apply for multiple employees at the same time.
In addition to the processing fee, the plan requires a $2 million gift per employee, payable after the employee completes the investigation. According to the website, this payment is considered evidence that the employee will be of “substantial benefit” to the United States.
One stated benefit of the Corporate Gold Card is flexibility for employers. If a company stops sponsoring an employee, it can use the same $2 million gift contribution associated with that old application to sponsor a new employee without making a new $2 million payment.
The Corporate Gold Card also charges a 1 percent annual maintenance fee and a 5 percent transfer fee, which covers the cost of the new DHS background check.
Like individual applicants, corporate-sponsored employees must still meet eligibility and admissibility requirements, and have a visa available.
Does the Gold Card create a new visa or fast-track citizenship?
Despite the way it is marketed, the Gold Card does not create a new immigration category.
Applicants are still required to qualify under existing employment-based green card pathways. In practice, this means that Gold Card holders are placed in the same EB-1 or EB-2 categories that already control employment-based immigration to the United States.
Importantly, while paying for a Gold Card does not change the applicant’s priority date, position in the queue determines when the Green Card application is actually processed. Payment also does not reserve a visa number or provide any special priority over other applicants.
What are EB-1 and EB-2, and why do they matter to Indians?
EB-1 and EB-2 are employment-based green card categories defined under US immigration law.
EB-1 covers priority workers, including individuals with “exceptional ability” in fields such as science, arts, education, business or athletics, as well as outstanding professors, researchers, and multinational managers or executives.
EB-2 applies to professionals with advanced degrees or individuals with “exceptional ability”, including those seeking a national interest waiver.
These categories matter because US law places strict limits on how many green cards can be issued each year. Only 140,000 employment-based green cards are issued annually, and no country can receive more than 7 percent of the total. Since demand from India far exceeds this limit, Indian applicants face very long wait times.
How serious are the backlogs for Indians right now?
Currently, EB-1 applications for India are being processed for filings made before April 2023. The situation is significantly worse for EB-2 applicants from India, with officials still processing cases filed on or before May 15, 2013.
This means that even highly qualified applicants may face waits of several years under EB-1 and potentially decades under EB-2, even if they apply through the Gold Card route.
Why are Indian applicants being warned to be cautious?
Immigration lawyers caution that the gold card does not solve the main problem for Indians: the backlog itself.
New York-based immigration lawyer Cyrus D. Mehta has a clear warning to Indian-born applicants. as quoted The Times of IndiaHe said: “If you were born in India, be wary of Trump’s gold card, because even after paying $1 million or more you will still be stuck in the India EB-1 or EB-2 backlog for years and even decades and may not see your green card for a very long time or ever.”
The caveat reflects the structure of the program: The Gold Card requires an upfront payment but does not change the legal barriers that determine how quickly an applicant can actually become a permanent resident.
What uncertainties still remain?
There is still limited clarity on whether individuals already in the United States can use adjustment of status, the process that allows eligible applicants under the scheme to apply for a green card from within the US without leaving the country. Applicants are also expected to attend a consular interview in person, and processing timelines can vary significantly depending on location.
The revocation clause on the Gold Card further underlines that approval does not eliminate future Visa risk.
bottom line
Based on the structure of the Gold Card and US employment-based immigration practices, the scheme does not remove major barriers faced by Indian applicants. Although this provides a costly entry point, it forces applicants into the heavily backlogged EB-1 and EB-2 categories, imposes uniform per-country limits, and multiplies the costs for families.
December 13, 2025, 08:56 IST
read more
