Washington, Jun 12: US President Donald Trump has officially launched a new immigration pathway for wealthy foreigners, dubbed the "gold card", offering a route to permanent residency in exchange for a $5 million payment to the government.

The long-discussed program was unveiled on Wednesday through a new government-backed website, trumpcard.gov, where interested individuals can now register their details to join the waiting list.

"For five million $dollars, the Trump card is coming," the US President declared in a post on his social media platform, Truth Social.

"Thousands have been calling and asking how they can sign up to ride a beautiful road in gaining access to the Greatest Country and Market anywhere in the World," he added.

The program, which Trump promotes as a fast-track immigration option, aims to attract high-net-worth individuals seeking to live and eventually become citizens of the United States.

Marketed as a more sophisticated alternative to the existing EB-5 investor visa, Trump described the gold card as "green card privileges plus."

However, despite the buzz surrounding the announcement, the gold card is not yet available for purchase. According to the official website, users can currently only submit their contact information to be notified once applications open.

"Enter your information below to be notified the moment access opens," reads the message on the homepage of trumpcard.gov.

Clarifying the scope of the program, Trump emphasised that the gold card does not grant immediate citizenship.

"It's somewhat like a green card, but at a higher level of sophistication," Trump said, adding, "It's a road to citizenship for people, and essentially people of wealth or people of great talent."

Reports by USA Today confirm that while the $5 million payment opens the door to permanent residency, it does not guarantee automatic citizenship, which would still require meeting certain legal criteria and residency requirements.

The launch of the gold card comes at a time when Trump continues to champion what he calls "merit-based immigration," positioning the new scheme as a bold move to attract global talent and investment while maintaining stringent control over traditional immigration pathways.

(IANS)

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