Featured Image Credit: Andrew Harnik/Getty Images
Topics: Donald Trump, Politics, US News, Money
Rhianna Benson
Topics: Donald Trump, Politics, US News, Money
Eight months after first announcing a niche new pathway for immigrants to obtain legal status in the US, Donald Trump has this week unveiled his long-await 'gold card', which would set buyers back a staggering $1m.
The controversial payment method hit headlines back in April, as part of his attempted shake-up of citizenship laws and plans for the 'largest deportation operation in American history'.
Also referring to them as 'Trump Cards' at the time, the 79-year-old Republican initially claimed they'd be sold for $5 million.
"Pretty exciting, right?" he teased. "Anybody want to buy one?"
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Despite Trump claiming that the cards would be available to purchase in 'less than two weeks', it took over half-a-year for 'gold cards' to be brought to market - which they finally were, on Wednesday (10 Dec).
After going live, White House website now boasts a page dedicated to accepting applications for the $1 million card.
"THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT’S TRUMP GOLD CARD IS HERE TODAY!" Trump also gushed on Truth Social. "A direct path to Citizenship for all qualified and vetted people.
"SO EXCITING! Our Great American Companies can finally keep their invaluable Talent. Live Site opens in 30 minutes!"
Also discussing the launch in the presidential residence in the company of a number of several business leaders, Trump explained that the cards were meant to replace previous EB-5 visas. The latter was created by Congress in 1990 in a bid to generate foreign investment, and was presented to individuals capable of investing $1m on a US company that employs at least 10 people, with the company in question also expected to cough up double.
Instead, Trump's 'gold card' will see individuals paying the same price for, essentially, a green card - given that it'll offer permanent legal residency with the chance for citizenship.
By his own logic, the father-of-five's logic comes from a bid to attract top talent into his country, whilst generating funding for federal bodies, claiming all money made will 'go to the US government' - specifically the Treasury Department, 'where we can do things positive for the country'.
During his speech this week, Trump explained: "Basically, it’s a green card but much better. Much more powerful, a much stronger path."
Of the immigrants he hopes to bring in, he recalled his business buddies complaining of having to reject outstanding foreign job candidates, being that they lacked official permission to stay in the States.
"You can’t hire people from the best colleges because you don’t know whether or not you can keep the person," Trump explained.
This said, however, the launch of the card comes amid Trump expanding his already existent travel ban to over 30 countries.
Last month, he placed restrictions on Afghanistan, Burma, Burundi, Chad, Cuba, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Laos, Libya, Republic of the Congo, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sudan, Togo, Turkmenistan, Venezuela and Yemen, in the wake of two National Guard members being shot in DC.
Though failing to disclose which countries have been added to this list, secretary of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Kristi Noem claimed the ban applies to both immigrants and non-immigrants, such as tourists, students and business travellers.
"If they don’t have a stable government there, if they don’t have a country that can sustain itself and tell us who those individuals are and help us vet them, why should we allow people from that country to come here to the United States?" she asked in conversation with Fox News host Laura Ingraham.
Despite this, Trump previously told AP of the buyers: "They'll be wealthy and they'll be successful and they'll be spending a lot of money and paying a lot of taxes and employing a lot of people, and we think it's going to be extremely successful.
"Companies can buy gold cards and, in exchange, get those visas to hire new employees."