Fact check: Is trump selling permanent residency gold cards for 5 million dollars?

1. Summary of the results

The statement is partially accurate but incomplete. Trump is indeed proposing (not currently selling) a "Gold Card Visa" program that would offer permanent residency and a path to citizenship for $5 million per card ^[1]. The program would replace the existing EB-5 immigrant investor visa program ^[2]. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick has confirmed the plan, noting there would be vetting procedures to ensure "world-class global citizens" ^[2].

2. Missing context/alternative viewpoints

Several crucial pieces of context are missing from the original statement:

• The program would be a replacement for the existing EB-5 visa program, which currently requires about $1 million in investment ^[3]
• Over 100 countries already have similar "golden visa" investment-based residency programs ^[3]
• The cards would not grant immediate citizenship, but rather provide green card-like privileges with a path to citizenship ^[4]
• Trump claims he can implement this without congressional approval ^[4]
• The program includes a vetting process for applicants ^[2]
• There are varying claims about the potential scale:

Trump has suggested selling up to 1 million cards ^[5]

Some sources mention up to 10 million cards ^[3]

3. Potential misinformation/bias in the original statement

Several stakeholders could benefit from different interpretations of this proposal:

• Financial/Economic Interests:

The government could potentially generate trillions in revenue to address the national deficit ^[4]

The program is being marketed as a solution to help pay down the national debt ^[4]

• Policy Implications:

The program is being presented as a solution to fraud issues in the existing EB-5 program ^[3]

The higher price point ($5 million vs current $1 million) suggests a more exclusive approach to investment-based immigration ^[3]

The original statement oversimplifies what is actually a complex policy proposal with significant economic and immigration implications. It's important to note that this is still a proposal, not an active program, despite Trump suggesting sales could begin within two weeks ^[6].