The Trump administration has only approved one of the president’s fast-track “gold card” visas since applications for the $1 million program opened in December, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said on Thursday.
In a House Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies budget hearing, Lutnick said the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees the new visa program, recently finalized the application process. The visa program is available to noncitizens willing to donate $1 million to the U.S. government.
“They have approved, recently, one person, and there are hundreds in the queue,” Lutnick said Thursday, without naming the recipient. “They wanted to make sure they did it perfectly.”
Lutnick claimed that the process was the “most serious vetting and analysis” in U.S. history.
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In addition to the $1 million donation, applicants pay $15,000 in processing fees to DHS.
The program was announced by President Donald Trump last year. He promoted it as a way for wealthy foreigners to fast-track their application for legal U.S. residency. Applications went live in December.
Just days later, Lutnick said the administration had made $1.3 billion from the program.
During the Thursday hearing, Rep. Grace Meng asked how the donations from the cards would be used. Lutnick said the money would go toward “the betterment” of the country.
“That will be determined by the administration,” he added.
The “gold card” program, which issues gold-colored visa cards that feature Trump’s face on them, was created through an executive order in September. The program awards EB-1 or EB-2 visas to approved applicants.
Since creation, the order has faced multiple lawsuits, including one filed in February by a coalition of immigrants who asked a judge to block the program because it prioritizes “wealth over intellect or ability,” The New York Times reported.
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