Golden Ticket: Elon Musk's Secret Path to U.S. Residency for the Elite

Ksiusha Johansson -

A hush whispered among the corridors of power - Elon Musk’s DOGE (Department of Government Efficiency) is playing a bold hand with the introduction of the ‘Trump Card Visa.’ This $5 million visa, tailor-made for the ultra-wealthy, is quietly on the move towards reshaping U.S. immigration.

Laying the Digital Foundation for Change

Without fanfare, the digital groundwork for this golden path to residency is already being assembled. Although not yet officially unveiled by the White House, murmurs of the visa program have already reached U.S. tourists and green card holders who find themselves questioned about their interest in the high-end opportunity.

Thanks to a radical partnership with key federal agencies, Musk’s DOGE is geared up to obliterate the traditional immigration pathways. This merger of cutting-edge digital infrastructure with hotly debated policy changes marks a novel chapter in U.S. immigration history.

Buy Your Way Into America: The Mechanics of the Visa

First hinted at by former President Donald Trump himself, the Trump Card Visa promises affluent investors a gateway to permanent U.S. residency and citizenship through a staggering investment of $5 million. This financial maneuver could potentially transform the green card process, which has seen long-standing backlogs and quotas - much to the dismay of nations such as India and China.

The conventional limit of 7% allocation on green cards is set to be sidestepped with this high-speed visa, opening doors exclusively for the elite.

Blurring Lines: Tech Overhaul and Immigration Revolution

Initially carved out for streamlining federal processes, DOGE is now reaching into immigration. Documents reveal that a domain named trumpcard.gov saw a March registration, hinting at a burgeoning online presence where application portals, AI-powered vetting, and real-time case tracking could be housed.

In a sneak peek through WIRED testing, it appears that global applicants, barring Canadians, are already experiencing backend synergies: the Global Entry system is posing questions about Trump Card Visa applications.

A Luxurious Alternative: Reimagining the EB-5 Visa

Comparisons to the EB-5 investor visa are inevitable. Since 1990, the EB-5 path has allowed foreign nationals to earn green cards through a $1.05 million investment and the promise to create a minimum of 10 jobs. However, critics question if the Trump Card Visa will endure the same scrutiny in terms of fraud prevention and equity.

Reserved for the cream of the crop, Trump’s golden visa invites wealthy individuals - oligarchs or controversial billionaires included - prompting concerns around security and egalitarianism.

Whether Trump holds the authority to spearhead this visa without congressional nod remains enshrined in mystery. Immigration law requires statutory governance; visa changes generally demand congressional approval. Skeptics forecast a legal tug-of-war, arguing that legislative endorsement is indispensable.

Despite the gray area, Trump allies like Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick are optimistic, boasting pre-sales of 1,000 gold cards, with a million slated as the target.

As we await an official announcement that seems poised at the doorstep, eyes will stay locked on Musk’s cryptic venture into reimagined immigration.

According to Latin Times, this announcement represents one of the most ambitious shifts in U.S. immigration in recent times.