Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla, confirmed that a digital system offering U.S. green cards for $5 million—referred to as the Gold Card—is currently undergoing testing as part of the U.S. immigration system.
Musk responded on May 11 to a post on X, where a user claimed that former President Donald Trump’s $5 million visa program had already been integrated into the U.S. immigration system using a digital infrastructure built by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
In his reply, Musk wrote, “We are quietly testing to ensure the system is working properly. Once testing is complete, it will be announced alongside a presidential address.” This marks the first time Musk publicly acknowledged the testing phase of the Gold Card program.
Development Involving Multiple U.S. Agencies
According to The New York Times, which cited unnamed sources in mid-April, engineers from DOGE (Department of Government Efficiency) have been collaborating with staff from the State Department, Department of Homeland Security, and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to build the website and application procedures required for the Gold Card program.
Trump Unveiled the Program in February
Donald Trump announced the Gold Card initiative in February, proposing to replace the existing EB-5 investor visa system. Under the new policy, applicants would be able to obtain permanent residency by paying $5 million.
In early April, Trump showed a physical prototype of the Gold Card, featuring his image, to reporters at the White House, stating the card would be launched “within two weeks.” However, as of now, neither the purchasing process nor the system itself has been made available to the public.
BY YESEUL HYEON [hyeon.yeseul@joongang.co.kr]
