Washington, DC: US President Donald Trump rolled out his long-promised Gold Card immigration plan this week, pitching it as a fast-track visa system that lets top companies effectively buy the right to keep foreign talent in the United States.
At a roundtable event, Trump described the programme as somewhat like a green card, but with big advantages, telling business leaders it would solve what he called a years-long hiring crisis for American firms.
“Very excitingly, for me and for the country, we’ve just launched the Trump Gold Card,” he said, adding that the new website would begin accepting applications within minutes. Trump said individuals will be able to pay $1 million to expedite their visa process, while companies can pay $2 million to secure residency for foreign graduates they want to retain.
“It’s a gift to get somebody great coming into our country,” Trump said, adding that many skilled graduates who currently return to India, China or Europe would now be able to stay.
85,000 visas revoked amid immigration crackdownThe US State Department announced this week that 85,000 visas have been revoked since January, underscoring the Trump administration’s rapid escalation of immigration enforcement and its push for tighter national-security screening. In a post on X, the department declared: “85,000 visa revocations since January. President Trump and Secretary Rubio adhere to one simple mandate, and they won't stop anytime soon.” The message appeared alongside an image of Trump with the slogan “Make America Safe Again,” a clear signal that visa crackdowns are central to the administration’s security agenda. A State Department official said the most common revocation triggers were “DUIs, assaults, and theft,” which together accounted for almost half of the revocations in the past year. |
