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Introduction: Tech Billionaires and a New U.S. Immigration Game
In a bold and controversial move, a task force led by Elon Musk is spearheading the development of a premium immigration program offering U.S. permanent residency for a price tag of \$5 million. Dubbed the “Gold Card” visa, the initiative is supported by former President Donald Trump and aims to fast-track wealthy individuals into the American residency system—essentially creating a VIP line for the ultra-rich. With involvement from high-ranking engineers, federal agencies, and billionaire allies, the program has sparked intrigue, criticism, and questions about ethics, equity, and long-term implications.
The Gold Card project is not merely a tech-powered streamlining of immigration; it’s a reimagining of how residency is earned, replacing the existing EB-5 investor visa model with something flashier, faster, and more politically loaded. The proposal comes at a time when traditional immigration paths remain mired in bureaucratic delays and uncertainty. This article unpacks what’s known so far, the people behind the program, the technology driving it, and why this seemingly futuristic idea is already creating waves.
Original Gold Card Visa — Musk and Trump’s Wealth-Based Residency Plan
According to The New York Times, Elon Musk is leading a federal-private initiative through his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to create a new U.S. residency visa program. This “Gold Card” would be offered to high-net-worth individuals for \$5 million, in exchange for permanent residency, bypassing the traditional years-long immigration process. Musk’s team is working alongside staff from the State Department, Department of Homeland Security, and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services to build a streamlined digital platform that could approve applicants within two weeks.
Two key figures in Musk’s DOGE task force—Marko Elez and Edward Coristine—are driving the development of the application system. However, both individuals come with controversial baggage. Elez resigned from a federal role earlier this year after being linked to a pseudonymous account promoting eugenics, while Coristine, only 19, was dismissed from a past internship due to involvement in a data leak.
Also involved is Airbnb co-founder Joe Gebbia, who initially joined Musk’s broader efforts to digitize government processes but has since shifted focus to the visa project. The visa concept itself isn’t new. Trump floated the idea of “Gold Cards” in February, branding them as a replacement for the EB-5 visa, which offers residency to those investing \$800,000 to \$1.05 million in job-creating U.S. businesses. That program reportedly brought in \$4 billion last year.
Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick stated on a podcast that 1,000 Gold Cards had already been sold, with the program expected to launch within two weeks. Trump has already unveiled a sample version of the laminated card, featuring his image alongside the Statue of Liberty and a bald eagle.
The Gold Card doesn’t grant citizenship but does provide permanent residency status—an American green card rebranded in gold and aimed squarely at the global elite.
What Undercode Say: The Gold
The Gold Card visa program is not just a policy experiment—it’s a statement. It says, loudly and clearly, that U.S. residency is now a luxury commodity. At \$5 million per applicant, this isn’t about streamlining immigration for talent or humanitarian reasons—it’s about monetizing access to the American dream.
1. Economic Windfall or Ethical Minefield?
From a financial standpoint, this could be a major revenue generator. If 1,000 cards are sold at \$5 million each, that’s \$5 billion straight into federal coffers. Compare that to the EB-5 visa’s \$4 billion intake over a year, and it’s clear why the administration and Trump see this as a fiscal opportunity. But turning green cards into elite collectibles may undermine the credibility of U.S. immigration as a merit-based system.
2. Fast-Track for the Few, Delays for the Many
While the ultra-wealthy could be granted residency in two weeks, ordinary immigrants wait years, sometimes decades, to gain approval through legal channels. The contrast is stark and unfair—and could further divide American society along economic lines.
3. Risky Figures at the Helm
Marko Elez’s past social media scandal and Edward “Big Balls” Coristine’s alleged data mishandling raise serious concerns. Entrusting such individuals with sensitive immigration data, especially when building a system meant to “streamline” vetting, is a gamble. Their backgrounds clash with the integrity one expects from those designing national policy platforms.
4. Tech-Driven, Politically Branded
While the digitization effort itself could reduce bureaucracy, the branding around this project—Trump’s face on a laminated card, Musk’s DOGE engineers—makes it feel more like a Silicon Valley product launch than a government policy. It’s nationalism as branding, tech as border control, and politics as performance.
5. Slippery Slope Toward Two-Tier Immigration
If this model succeeds, what’s next? Bronze cards for \$1 million? Platinum for \$10 million and a golf course in Florida? The logic opens the door to commodified citizenship—an idea long rejected in democratic societies.
6. Permanent Residency ≠ Citizenship, But Close Enough
Though Gold Card holders won’t gain citizenship immediately, permanent residency grants them most rights, including the ability to live and work in the U.S. indefinitely. It’s a soft route to full participation in American life without traditional assimilation or allegiance requirements.
7. Public Perception and Political Blowback
This program may appeal to fiscal conservatives and business elites, but it’s likely to draw sharp criticism from immigration advocates, labor unions, and voters concerned about fairness. In an election cycle, it could become a wedge issue.
8. The Bigger Picture: Immigration as Capital Flow
Musk and Trump are reframing immigration from a humanitarian or demographic challenge into an economic mechanism. If migration is now a function of investment returns, expect policies to increasingly favor ROI over refuge.
🔍 Fact Checker Results
✅ Claim: 1,000 Gold Cards already sold — Verified via statements from Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick.
✅ Claim: Trump unveiled a Gold Card prototype — Verified, photo evidence circulated during press briefing aboard Air Force One.
❌ Claim: Edward Coristine was cleared of all wrongdoing — Misleading; Path Inc. cited an internal investigation that led to his removal.
📊 Prediction
If the Gold Card visa program proceeds, expect a surge in ultra-wealthy individuals seeking U.S. permanent residency within the next 6–12 months, particularly from countries facing political or economic instability (e.g., China, Russia, Middle East). The program may raise \$10 billion in its first year if expanded aggressively—but also trigger lawsuits, congressional hearings, and possible court challenges. Long term, it may permanently reshape how U.S. immigration is perceived: not as a privilege earned through merit or need, but as a commodity available to the highest bidder.
References:
Reported By: timesofindia.indiatimes.com
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