U.S. President Donald Trump announced the intention of his administration to establish the issuance of "golden cards" for foreign investors. This was reported by Axios.
The head of the White House shared this information with the media during a press conference on February 25. According to him, the new program for investment permits for permanent residency (similar to the "green card") will replace the existing EB-5 visas.
The cost of a "golden card" will be $5 million. According to Trump, it is aimed at "wealthy and successful" foreigners who "will pay a lot of taxes and provide jobs to many people."
Additionally, the U.S. president did not rule out the issuance of "golden cards" to Russian oligarchs, stating that he knows "very good people" among them. He estimated the potential number of recipients under the planned program to be 1 million individuals.
U.S. Secretary of Commerce Howard Latnik stated that the "golden card" program will be launched within two weeks. The official expressed confidence that it would help eliminate the risks of fraud allegedly present in the current EB-5 visa program.
Latnik confirmed that holders of the "golden card" would subsequently be able to obtain U.S. citizenship. He also added that applicants would undergo screening and that permits would only be issued to "excellent global citizens of world-class caliber."
EB-5 visas were introduced in 1990 and are granted to foreigners for investments of approximately $1 million in an American company that employs at least 10 people. According to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, from October 1, 2021, to September 30, 2022, around 4,000 individuals received investment visas, with nearly the same number renewing them.
Earlier, Spot reported that Uzbeks would be able to obtain a long-term visa to Thailand online.