Trump’s ‘Gold Card’ visa: One cleared, hundreds await as $1 million residency plan rolls out

The United States has approved only one applicant so far under President Donald Trump’s ‘Gold Card’ visa programme. According to Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, the visa programme will offer US residency in exchange for a $1 million fee.Testifying before a US House committee on Thursday, Lutnick said that the identity of the approved applicant was not disclosed. He added that ‘hundreds’ of other applications are currently under review, Bloomberg reported. According to him, all applicants must undergo ‘extraordinary vetting’ and pay a $15,000 processing fee before approval.The Trump administration began accepting applications for the visa in December. The programme is being promoted as a way to attract wealthy and skilled individuals to the United States by offering permanent residency in exchange for a substantial financial contribution.Lutnick said the initiative is intended to bring talent into the country, though he did not provide details on processing timelines or selection criteria.