Trump’s Gold Card Visa Program Has Only One Successful Applicant

Months after launching, the Trump Gold Card visa program is off to a slow start with the administration saying only one person has made it through the vetting process.The program offers American residency in “record time” to individuals who pay a $15,000 processing fee, undergo a background approval process, and then give a $1 million “donation” to the American government.When questioned about the program during a House Appropriations subcommittee hearing on Thursday, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick blamed the Department of Homeland Security for delays in setting up the vetting process. “This is a new program and they’ve just set it up and they wanted to make sure they did it perfectly,” Mr. Lutnick said.After Congresswoman Grace Meng questioned him about the program, Mr. Lutnick said that there were hundreds of other foreign applicants in the approval queue.The background check process is “the most serious vetting and analysis of any potential applicant,” according to Mr. Lutnick.The Trump Gold Card site went live in early December and a few days later, Mr. Lutnick claimed that the administration had brought in $1.3 billion from the cards. Wording on the website claims that the approval process should take weeks after the processing fee and application are received.President Trump called the visa program a “green card on steroids” at a White House event. Mr. Trump said he created the visa program — overseen by Mr. Lutnick — to “facilitate the entry of aliens who have demonstrated their ability and desire to advance the interests of the United States by voluntarily providing a significant financial gift.”There is also a corporate version of the gold card program that allows American companies to pay the $15,000 processing fee and then provide a $2 million per employee “gift” following the vetting process. Mr. Trump suggested that would help companies keep skilled workers with advanced degrees in the country.The program faces a lawsuit by the liberal Democracy Defenders Fund that alleges the government has failed to release documents related to the program. The lawsuit, filed in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia, seeks to force the administration to comply with a Freedom of Information Act request for relevant information about the program.“Behind closed doors, this administration appears to be trying to turn our immigration system into a bazaar with the privilege of U.S. residency available to the highest bidder, the group’s co-founder, former Obama administration ambassador Norm Eisen, said earlier this month in a release announcing the lawsuit.The Trump administration has announced — but not launched — a Trump Platinum Card program that will allow applicants to reside in the United States for up to 270 days per year without being subject to tax on non-American income. That program will require a $5 million “donation” on top of the $15,000 vetting fee. That program was announced in December but a launch date has not been announced.

Trump’s Gold Card Visa Program Has Only One Successful Applicant

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