Trump Gold Card Residency Faces Delays and Legal Challenges

A U.S. Investment visa program designed to attract millionaires and billionaires to the United States is seeing significantly lower participation than the administration predicted, according to Department of Homeland Security data revealed in a recent court filing.

The Gold Card program, launched in December 2025, allows wealthy individuals to seek U.S. Residency for a $1 million investment. While the program was marketed as a way to raise substantial government revenue and accelerate the residency process, legal filings indicate that the actual number of applicants is a small fraction of initial government projections.

Participation and Revenue Shortfalls

When the program was introduced, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick projected that the government would issue 80,000 Gold Cards and generate more than $100 billion in revenue.

However, a legal filing from early May 2026 submitted by the Department of Homeland Security shows that only 338 people have submitted requests for a Gold Card. Of those applicants, only 165 have paid the required $15,000 visa processing fee.

Contradictions in Processing Speed

A central selling point of the Gold Card was the promise of rapid approval. The official program website stated that residency would be granted in record time and described the timeline as a matter of weeks.

The Department of Homeland Security’s court filing contradicted these marketing claims. The filing stated that Gold Card applicants will not receive more rapid approval times or special treatment compared to individuals applying for traditional visas.

Legal and Legislative Requirements

The program continues to face legal questions and logistical delays. Immigration attorneys have noted that the Gold Card is still in its early stages and its long-term viability may depend on several factors:

• Approval of the program by Congress.
• The establishment of a consistent track record of visa approvals.

The Gold Card was positioned as a new category of investment visa intended to attract tens of thousands of high-net-worth overseas investors to the U.S. Economy, but current data suggests the program has failed to gain significant traction among the world’s wealthy.