Trump’s “Gold Card” Turns U.S. Residency Into a Pay-to-Play Scheme

President Donald Trump has launched a new “Gold Card” immigration program that allows wealthy foreign nationals to seek expedited U.S. residency by paying a nonrefundable $15,000 DHS processing fee and—after background checks—a $1,000,000 payment to the federal government. A corporate version requires $2,000,000 per sponsored employee, along with ongoing maintenance and transfer fees. The program’s own website promises residency “in record time,” reportedly within weeks. That fast lane is unavailable to families, workers, and asylum seekers who wait years in backlogs or face aggressive enforcement. This is not immigration reform; it is a two-tier system that favors wealth over fairness. The Trump regime has described the million-dollar payments not as visa fees or investments, but as “gifts” to the government. That framing raises serious constitutional concerns. Congress—not the executive branch—controls how federal money is raised and spent. Rebranding seven-figure payments as “gifts” appears designed to sidestep congressional authorization and appropriations law, turning residency into a revenue stream created by executive decree. Legal experts have also warned that the program may lack a lawful foundation. U.S. immigration categories are established by statute, and creating a new visa pathway—especially one offering expedited residency—normally requires an act of Congress. Proceeding without clear legislative approval invites court challenges, policy reversals, and instability for applicants and the immigration system alike. The regime claims the Gold Card will help U.S. companies retain global talent. But the United States already has legal pathways for extraordinary ability, researchers, and executives. What is broken is not the absence of talent visas, but congestion, caps, and unpredictable processing. The Gold Card does not fix those failures; it sells a bypass around them to those who can afford it. Congress must immediately exercise oversight of this program, demand its legal justification, and block any implementation that bypasses statutory immigration law. American residency and citizenship are civic commitments—not luxury goods for sale to the highest bidder.