Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick testified Thursday that only one person has been approved for Trump's gold card visa program, despite his earlier claim in December that the government had sold US$1.3 billion worth within days of launch. The $1 million visa is meant to replace the EB-5 investor program and attract wealthy foreigners, though hundreds remain in the queue.
Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick testified Thursday that only one person has been approved for Trump's $1 million gold card visa program, appearing to contradict his earlier claim of $1.3 billion in sales shortly after the December launch. The program, meant to replace the EB-5 investor visa, requires applicants to pay $1 million plus a $15,000 vetting fee, with corporations able to sponsor foreign employees for $2 million plus annual fees. Lutnick previously said the program would raise $1 trillion to help balance the budget, while the U.S. debt stands at $31.3 trillion with a $2 trillion annual deficit.
The Trump administration's Gold Card visa programme has approved only one applicant so far, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick told a US House committee on Thursday. The programme offers US residency in exchange for a $1 million fee plus a $15,000 processing charge. Hundreds of applications are under review, with all candidates required to undergo 'extraordinary vetting'. The programme began accepting applications in December.
