Washington, United States. So far, only one application has been approved for the program. “golden” visas that was launched by the President of the United States, Donald Trump, the Secretary of Commerce, Howard Lutnick, reported on Thursday.
The president signed an order in September to create the program that offers residency in the United States in exchange for the payment of one million dollars. Applications began to be received in December.
U.S. officials recently approved one person’s request, Lutnick told a House committee. “And there are hundreds in line” who are going through the process, he added.
Applicants also have to pay a $15,000 filing fee to the Department of Homeland Security, and Lutnick noted that they will undergo “extremely rigorous vetting and analysis.”
The program established a rate of $1 million for individuals and $2 million for sponsorships by companies.
Its creation coincided with Trump’s order to add a $100,000 annual fee to H-1B visas for skilled workers.
The president initially said that the new visa would attract people capable of generating employment and that it could be used to reduce the national deficit.
Since returning to the presidency in 2025, Trump has tightened immigration policy and his administration has carried out harsh deportation raids.
