Gold Card Visa: One Approved, Many in Limbo

0:00On April 23rd, Commerce Secretary Howard Letnick dropped a bombshell in a house hearing this week, just one applicant has gotten full approval for. President Trump's gold card visa program. That's the million dollar pathway to U.S. residency. They rolled out last December. Hundreds more are still in the betting pipeline. Loonick explained the hold-up comes from super-strict background checks by Homeland Security, working with Commerce and State Departments. He's forked over a $15,000 processing fee on top of that million dollar contribution, which the program pitches as a big revenue, boost for America. Lawmakers like Rep Grace Mange from New York grilled him on where the cash goes, and he kept it vague, saying it'll benefit the country as the administration sees fit. Trump had hyped selling millions of these cards for billions and funds, but so far, it's a slow start. The gold card uses existing employment visa categories like EV1 and EV2, turning a million dollar gift into proof you'll help the U.S. economy.

1:02There's even a corporate version at $2 million per employee. Immigration lawyers warn annual caps will keep approvals low. Now a lawsuit from university professors and researchers is pushing back hard, claiming the executive branch can't rewrite these visas without Congress. It's headed to federal court, so the program's future hangs in the balance while that one lucky applicant settles in. National News, Powered by AI. This is U.S. News Today.