Only one Trump "gold card" visa has been approved, Lutnick says

The Trump medication has approved 1 "gold card" visa since starting to judge applications for the caller U.S. residency licence successful December, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said connected Thursday. 

Lutnick, who offered the update portion testifying astatine a House subcommittee hearing, said that the process for applying for the golden paper visa was precocious finalized with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, which oversees the program. The visa programme is disposable to foreigners who wage a $1 cardinal donation to the U.S. government.

"They person approved, recently, 1 person, and determination are hundreds successful the queue," Lutnick said Thursday. "They wanted to marque definite they did it perfectly."

He added that the vetting process for golden paper applicants is "the astir superior ... successful the past of government."

President Trump announced the programme past year, touting it arsenic an expedited way for affluent foreigners to unafraid ineligible residency successful the U.S. and arsenic a mode to make authorities revenue. Applications for the caller visa went unrecorded successful December, with the government website for the golden paper stating that it tin assistance foreigners person residency support successful "record time."

Applicants for the visa wage $15,000 successful processing fees to the Department of Homeland Security, successful summation to the $1 cardinal donation. Homeland Security referred questions astir the programme to the Commerce Department. 

Lutnick didn't disclose details astir the idiosyncratic approved for the golden paper visa, and the Commerce Department didn't instantly instrumentality a petition for comment. 

Asked by Rep. Grace Meng, a Democrat from New York, however the $1 cardinal donations from the programme volition beryllium used, Lutnick said that the wealth volition beryllium directed toward "the betterment" of the U.S.

"That volition beryllium determined by the administration," helium said.

Edited by Alain Sherter

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• Immigration