"We're going to sell a gold card. There's a green card. There's a gold card. We're going to put a price on that card. <...> It's going to be a pathway to citizenship, and rich people are going to come to our country buying that card. They're going to be rich, and they're going to be successful, and they're going to spend a lot of money, and pay a lot of taxes, and hire a lot of people. And we think it's going to be extremely successful," President Donald Trump said.
It was clear from his words that the US government plans to roll out the golden visa program within a couple of weeks. All applicants for a golden visa will have to undergo special checks before being granted one.
According to the plan, such visas should replace EB-5 visas already used in the U.S., which allowed foreign investors to obtain immigrant visas if they contributed money to projects inside the United States. EB-5 has been in operation since 1992. In order for it to be implemented, investors had to invest at least $800,000 in projects in areas with high unemployment, or in projects from rural areas, or $1,050,000 in any other project not tied to these special zones. Citizenship could be obtained 5 years after obtaining an EB-5 visa.
Trump was asked if Russian businessmen could get a gold card. - "Possibly. I know some Russian oligarchs, very good people. They may not be as rich as they used to be. I think they'll be able to afford five million dollars."
New Zealand has announced a significant update to its business immigration strategy, launching the new Business Investor Visa (BIV) in November 2025. This program replaces the previous Entrepreneur Work Visa and is designed to attract experienced investors to inject capital into established New Zealand businesses.
Effective August 1st, the program offers second citizenship in 6 weeks via Dubai-based PPP. From $90k donation + $5k fee (single applicant).
Starting August 20, certain visa applicants must post bonds up to $15,000. The program explicitly targets Citizenship-by-Investment holders over vetting concerns. Initially affects Malawi/Zambia nationals, but CBI countries face potential inclusion with 15 days' notice. 30-day stay limit applies.
