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At Gold Card launch, what Trump said on graduates having 'to return to India’

The Trump administration has launched the gold card for both individuals and corporations willing to sponsor their talent to acquire a US citizenship.

Updated on: Dec 12, 2025, 08:06:05 IST
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United States President Donald Trump on Wednesday launched the ‘Trump Gold Card’ during a roundtable at the White House and said that it would enable companies to go to prestigious schools and retain students in the United States.

Trump argued that the programme will help the US retain global talent while raising “many billions of dollars” for federal use. (File/REUTERS)
Trump argued that the programme will help the US retain global talent while raising “many billions of dollars” for federal use. (File/REUTERS)

“It's somewhat like a green card but with big advantages over a green card. And companies are going to be able to go to the Wharton School of Finance, the Stern Business School, Harvard, MIT, wherever you may get your students, any school, and you're able to buy a card and keep that person in the United States actually,” said the US President.

Also read: Platinum Card: What's inside Trump's '$5 million' shortcut to US residency

What Trump said on students having to return

Emphasising on how the gold card offers a path to talented students to stay in the country, Trump said that it was a shame that students had to return to their home countries such as India, China, France and more as companies cannot hire them due to the volatile nature of their stay in the United States.

Describing the gold card as a gift, Trump said, “It's a gift of getting somebody great coming into our country because we think this will be some tremendous people that wouldn't be allowed to stay. They graduate from college, they have to go back to India, they have to go back to China, they have to go back to France, they have to go back to wherever they came from, very hard to stay. It's a shame, it's a ridiculous thing. We're taking care of that.

Also read: Bilateral trade, energy, defence: What PM Modi, Trump discussed in ‘warm and engaging’ phone call

What is the ‘Trump Gold Card’?

The Trump administration has launched the gold card for both individuals and corporations willing to sponsor their talent to acquire a US citizenship.

Also read: Trump rolls out $1M immigration ‘Gold Card’: 5 key points to know

Explaining how the Trump gold card would work, United States Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick said that for an individual, the cost of the card would be $1 million and for a corporation, it would be $2 million.

“And as the president said, for a corporation, they spend $2 million, they can then have an employee, full vetting, the best vetting the government has ever done. $15,000 vetting to make sure these people absolutely qualify to be in America. Absolutely qualify. And then the company can keep them here, and they have a path to citizenship,” Lutnick said.

He also added that people retained through the gold card have to be “perfect people” in America and after passing the vetting, they will be available to become US citizens after five years.

“For a company, they can keep putting people on the card, one person per card; and for the individual, it's a million dollars, and it's a gift to the United States of America to help America be great again under Donald Trump,” he said.

  • Nikita Sharma
    ABOUT THE AUTHOR
    Nikita Sharma

    Nikita Sharma is a Senior Content Producer with Hindustan Times. She is a Delhi-based digital journalist with five years of experience writing and editing news stories across beats including crime, politics, tech, trends and much more, both national and international. At Hindustan Times, she is part of the news team and focuses on breaking news, keeping a track of what is happening where, and chasing ever-developing news stories. She has a penchant for covering crime, geopolitics, and Indian politics with a keen eye for stories often overlooked in the daily news cycle. At Hindustan Times, she has extensively covered several key events including the US Presidential elections, Air India plane crash, Pahalgam terror attack and Operation Sindoor, US’ tariff war, and others. As a Delhi aficionado, she particularly enjoys roaming and writing about the national capital — its heritage, food, art and culture, and the many problems that come with it — the pollution, waterlogging, traffic, and more. Nikita did her Bachelor in Journalism and Mass Communication from GGSIPU and started working as a digital journalist in 2021. During her first stint, she covered hyperlocal news at a Delhi-based newsroom, writing and editing stories on builder-buyer conflicts, civic issues such as potholes, waterlogging, lack of facilities at hospitals in Delhi, crippling of the city during peak monsoon season. She also wrote features covering Delhi’s art exhibitions, heritage walks, artist profiles, museums, classical Hindustani music concerts and dance shows. She entered mainstream news in 2023 and has previously worked at NDTV.Read More

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