This article was prepared with the assistance of ABIL, the Alliance of Business Immigration Lawyers, of which Loan Huynh is an active member.
On September 19, 2025, the Trump Administration announced a plan for three new immigration pathways: the Trump Gold Card, the Trump Corporate Gold Card, and the forthcoming Trump Platinum Card. These programs represent a departure from the traditional job-creating EB-5 immigrant investor model, introducing donation-based routes to existing employment-based green card categories.
The Trump Gold Card would allow individuals to qualify under the EB-1A “extraordinary ability” or EB-2 “national interest waiver” categories by making a nonrefundable $1 million donation to the U.S. government. Gold Card holders would be treated like other permanent residents, subject to worldwide taxation and reporting obligations, and their status could be revoked under the same rules that apply to immigrant visas.
For employers, the Trump Corporate Gold Card requires a $2 million donation to sponsor an employee. Sponsorship could be transferred between employees, though it remains unclear whether a transfer would be possible after the originally sponsored employee secures a green card.
The administration also previewed a Trump Platinum Card, which would involve a $5 million donation and allow recipients to spend up to 270 days in the United States annually without U.S. taxation on foreign income.
Implementation of these programs is expected within 90 days, but applications cannot yet be filed until the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Commerce issue detailed procedures.
