The President of the United States Donald Trump signed an executive order introducing a visa program called the “Golden Card,” which provides an accelerated procedure for a green card, or residence permit, for individuals willing to invest, i.e., pay one million or more US dollars.
The official government website announced that the “golden card” program is now active, showing a golden card with Trump’s picture and signature, images of a bald eagle and the Statue of Liberty, with the slogan “unlock life in America,” CBS news reports today.
Under the terms of the program, which Trump first announced in February, foreign nationals who invest at least one million dollars in the Department of Commerce will be able to get an “accelerated process” to obtain an immigrant visa.
Companies can sponsor individuals for a “golden card” if they donate at least two million dollars.
According to the United States Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick, about 80,000 “golden cards” will be available, and the program is still in the implementation phase.
Lutnick explained that individuals who pass a check through the Department of Homeland Security, and who pay a verification fee of 15,000 dollars, will be considered lawful permanent residents.
The “golden card” will replace the existing EB-1 and EB-2 visa programs, which grant green cards to individuals with “extraordinary abilities” in business or other fields.
“You can prove extraordinary value to the United States by donating millions of dollars. That’s a pretty good assessment that these people are extremely valuable,” Lutnick said.
He announced that within less than a month, other green card programs will be suspended, and the “golden card” will become the new model for entering the country.
The administration is also considering introducing a “platinum card” that would allow people to stay in the US for up to 270 days without paying taxes on income not earned in the US.
In addition, Trump signed an executive order introducing an additional fee of 100,000 dollars for people who want to enter the US with an H-1B visa, which allows foreign workers to stay and work in the US for up to six years.
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Source: Tanjug; Photo: Reuters