Donald Trump’s proposed $5 million Gold Card program is getting a lot of attention, especially from wealthy Indian professionals — even though it hasn’t been officially launched yet.
What is the Gold Card?
The Gold Card is an idea being promoted as a special visa program for ultra-rich individuals. It’s meant to attract high-net-worth investors, not young or mid-level professionals.
Even before any official announcement, the program has seen a huge response — over 70,000 people have already registered on its website. Most of these are wealthy professionals from sectors like technology, finance, and healthcare, mostly between the ages of 28-45.
Why are Indians Interested?
Many Indians working in the US and Middle East are showing interest. Immigration experts say that a large number of enquiries are coming from wealthy Indian communities abroad, especially in the Gulf region.
Prachi Shah, an immigration lawyer, says many tech, finance, and healthcare workers from India are exploring this option. Another expert, Sukanya Raman, confirms that many wealthy Indians living overseas are curious about it too.
However, it’s unclear how many of these enquiries will turn into real applications.
Read more: HNIs Ditch Green Cards for Golden Visas – Here’s Where They’re Heading
Is the Gold Card Official Yet?
No. Right now, the Gold Card has no legal backing. It’s not approved by the US government, and there’s no official immigration policy supporting it yet.
The current website is simply collecting basic contact information, and no documents are required at this stage. Experts believe a lot of the buzz is coming from marketing, not actual government announcements.
Alexander Jovy, another immigration lawyer, says it’s just an idea at the moment — not a real immigration program.
EB-5 Visa
There’s also talk that this Gold Card could replace the existing EB-5 visa, which allows people to get a US green card by investing a smaller amount of money (usually around $800,000–$1 million).
But experts say both programs could run side by side, and people are still applying for EB-5, H-1B, and other visa programs until the Gold Card becomes official.
Rajneesh Pathak, who runs an immigration consultancy, says they are telling clients that EB-5 is still active and reliable. He also says that the Gold Card will only be successful if it comes with tax benefits, like no tax on global income.
