Investor Visas and the Trump Card

Derek Lawson

Alright, welcome back to The Immigration Conversation. I'm Derek Lawson, and as always, I'm joined by the one and only Ruby Sturt. Ruby, how's it going?

Ruby Sturt

Hey Derek! I'm good, thanks. And honestly, I can't wait to get into this one. The Trump Card—it's not a new casino game, right?

Derek Lawson

Nope, not unless you consider U.S. residency a jackpot. So, for anyone who missed the headlines, President Trump just announced a new investor visa program called, well, The Trump Card. The basics? If you invest five million dollars, you get permanent residency, work authorization, and eventually, a path to citizenship. All you have to do is sign up on TrumpCard.gov and wait for your golden ticket—sort of.

Ruby Sturt

Yeah, and it's interesting because this isn't totally out of the blue. The U.S. already has the EB-5 visa, which is, what, one million eight hundred thousand? Or $900,000 if you invest in certain areas. But this Trump Card is, like, five times that. It's a big jump.

Derek Lawson

Exactly. The EB-5 is One million eight hundred thousand dollars, or $800,000 if you're putting money into a targeted employment area. The Trump Card is pitching itself as a sort of premium alternative. But honestly, the details are pretty thin right now. The website just lets you register your interest—no real info on eligibility, vetting, or how long you'd have to wait.

Ruby Sturt

It reminds me a bit of what Australia did. I have this family friend in Melbourne—her dad tried to get in on the investor visa there. He had to jump through so many hoops, and the rules kept changing. I think he ended up just giving up. It's always pitched as this easy path, but it's never as simple as it sounds.

Derek Lawson

Yeah, and I mean, the marketing is wild. Trump said on Truth Social that thousands of people are already calling to sign up. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick is out there saying, basically, if you can afford it, you're gonna want this card. But, like, is it really that straightforward?

Ruby Sturt

I doubt it. And honestly, the fact that the site is just a waitlist right now makes me think they're still figuring out the details. But hey, if you’ve got five million lying around, maybe you get to be first in line.

Derek Lawson

So here's where things get sticky. Legal experts are already raising eyebrows about whether you can just create a new visa like this without Congress. Normally, a new immigration pathway needs a law, right? And as far as I can tell, no law has been passed for this.

Ruby Sturt

Yeah, that's a big one. Like, can you just announce a new visa on social media and call it a day? I mean, I’m not a lawyer, but that seems... a bit dodgy?

Derek Lawson

It does. And there’s also the transparency issue. The website is light on details, and we don’t know how the vetting will work, or even what the timeline is. Lutnick, the Commerce Secretary, is out there hyping it up, but there’s not much substance yet. It reminds me of this story I broke back in Detroit—there was this local tax incentive that was supposed to bring in jobs, but the details were all hidden. Turned out, it mostly benefited a handful of developers. People were furious when they found out. I’m not saying it’s the same thing, but when you have a process that’s not transparent, it’s easy for things to go sideways.

Ruby Sturt

Totally. And the economic impact is still a big question mark. Supporters say it’ll bring in wealthy folks who’ll invest in the U.S., but if the rules aren’t clear, or if it’s just a way to buy a green card, people are gonna push back. And, like, what about the folks who can’t drop five million? It’s not exactly an equal opportunity thing.

Derek Lawson

Right, and I think that’s where a lot of the backlash is coming from. There’s this sense that it’s a shortcut for the ultra-rich, while everyone else is stuck in the regular system. And if it’s not even legal, it could get tied up in court before it even gets off the ground.

Ruby Sturt

Yeah, and if Congress didn’t approve it, it could just get scrapped with the next administration. So, it’s a lot of hype, but not a lot of certainty.

Ruby Sturt

And this isn’t just a U.S. thing, right? Other countries have tried these so-called golden visas. Portugal, Greece, the UK—they all had programs where you could basically buy residency or citizenship if you invested enough money.

Derek Lawson

Yeah, and a lot of those programs have been scaled back or even shut down. Portugal, for example, had a significant surge in applications for their golden visa, but then concerns arose about housing prices and whether the funds were actually benefiting the economy. The UK ended theirs over transparency concerns and, I think, some national security stuff. Greece is still running theirs, but they’ve tightened the rules a lot.

Ruby Sturt

It’s kind of a pattern, isn’t it? These programs start out as a way to bring in cash, but then people realize the benefits aren’t as big as promised, or there’s not enough oversight. And then, poof, the government pulls the plug.

Derek Lawson

Exactly. So, I guess the big question is, could the Trump Card go the same way? If there’s not enough transparency, or if the economic impact isn’t clear, it could face the same challenges. And if the legal side isn’t sorted, it might not even get off the ground.

Ruby Sturt

Yeah, and I wonder if the U.S. will actually learn from what happened overseas, or if we’re just gonna repeat the same cycle. I mean, it’s early days, but I wouldn’t be surprised if we see some big changes—or even a shutdown—down the line.

Derek Lawson

Time will tell. For now, it’s a waitlist and a lot of questions. But we’ll keep following it, and we’ll be back with updates as this thing develops.

Ruby Sturt

Absolutely. Thanks for tuning in, everyone. Derek, always a pleasure chatting with you—even if we don’t have five million to spare.

Derek Lawson

Yeah, maybe next time. Take care, Ruby. And thanks to everyone listening—see you on the next Immigration Conversation.

Ruby Sturt

Catch you next time, folks. Bye!