The United States government’s controversial pay-for-residency scheme has produced just one approved applicant since it opened for applications, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick disclosed to a congressional committee Thursday, even as hundreds more remain in the queue.
Only one person has been approved so far for President Donald Trump’s Gold Card programme, which grants foreigners United States residency for a fee of at least one million dollars, Lutnick confirmed during testimony before a House committee. He did not reveal the identity of the approved applicant.
The programme was established through Executive Order 14351, signed by Trump on September 19, 2025. It creates an expedited pathway for foreign nationals to obtain United States permanent residency by making a substantial financial contribution to the Department of Commerce. Applications opened in December.
Under the scheme, each applicant pays a non-refundable $15,000 processing fee to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which conducts security vetting, on top of the $1 million contribution required to qualify for residency. Corporate sponsors seeking residency for employees face a higher threshold of $2 million per employee, along with a 1% annual maintenance fee.
Up to 80,000 Gold Cards will be made available under the programme, according to Lutnick. Successful applicants receive lawful permanent resident status, commonly known as a green card, with a pathway to United States citizenship.
The Gold Card order was signed alongside a separate proclamation introducing a $100,000 fee for companies filing H-1B visa petitions for high-skilled foreign workers. The administration stated the measure is aimed at reducing what it described as abuse of the programme and protecting American workers.
Trump has maintained that the Gold Card scheme will raise significant revenue for the federal government and attract wealthy investors. While the administration has pursued one of the toughest immigration stances in recent memory, including strict entry requirements and increased deportation operations, it has consistently supported pathways for skilled and wealthy immigrants.
A $5 million “Platinum Card” tier offering up to 270 days in the United States annually without tax on non-US income has also been announced, though it still requires congressional approval.
