Indian Talent in Focus as Trump Launches Gold Card Programme

The “Trump Gold Card,” a new immigration plan presented by US President Donald Trump, is intended to rectify the “ridiculous” system that prohibits international students from staying in the US after graduation.

In his address from the White House, Trump remarked that it was an injustice when excellent students from nations like India, China, and France were sent back after graduating from elite US universities like Harvard, MIT, and Wharton. The Gold Card program, according to the president, will give businesses the chance to groom and hold the best international talent without facing a long immigration struggle.

“A Gift of Great Talent to America”

Trump said the new policy would be one of the rare times the US would be in a position to decide which students it would like to get rid of.

“You are the best at your school, but there is no way to guarantee that you will be able to stay. That’s awful. We are going to fix that,” Trump stated.

He further mentioned that several top executives, including Apple’s Tim Cook, frequently express their worries over the loss of highly skilled graduates as a result of strict immigration laws. The Gold Card will give a company “certainty” in the hiring and keeping of the brightest minds, he stated.

How the Trump Gold Card Works

The Gold Card targets the people whose talents and qualifications might be of a substantial benefit to the United States, making them a pathway to permanent residency and, eventually, citizenship in the US.

• Cost of Individual Gold Card: $1 million
• Cost of Corporate Gold Card: $2 million
• Vetting process charge: $15,000

US Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick mentioned that corporate buyers could opt for the Gold Card to have an employee from abroad of their choice to remain in the country on vetting basis and later switching to “put someone else on the card.” Hence, companies will be able to rotate high-skilled foreign workers through a long-term, employment-linked residency track.

Lutnick confirmed that the vetting process would be the most rigorous the US has ever imposed, limiting the entry and stay to the “best people” only. He further notified that the scheme is not about creating new visas but rather graduating the existing categories so as to raise the talent standard that is entering the US.

A Boost to US Revenue and Competitiveness

Trump added that the Gold Card would not only be a helping hand to American businesses but also an enormous source of revenue for the country, amounting to billions.

“It would be a fantastic thing. We’ll be taking in billions of dollars in revenue—even more than estimated,” he remarked.

Moreover, he pointed out that the initiative would enhance the ability of the US to compete with global markets by retaining talented graduates in the country instead of letting them go to the likes of Canada.

A Better Alternative to the Green Card?

The President insisted that the Gold Card would be a substitute of higher value than that of the green card because it would lead to a much clearer and faster citizenship process for the economically and technologically contributing individuals in the US.

Lutnick further remarked that current green card holders tend to earn less than the average American and are more likely to depend on federal assistance programmes. The Gold Card aims to reverse that trend by ensuring that only highly skilled, high-earning individuals qualify.

“It’s a gift to the United States of America…to help America be great again under Donald Trump,” Lutnick concluded.