Trump Card Visa Digital Infrastructure Appears in US Immigration System – IMI Daily

Musk leads the implementation of the Gold Card through DoGE, while testing confirms integration across CBP, State Department, and USCIS systems.

Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DoGE) has begun developing integration frameworks for a forthcoming Gold Card Visa system.

The digital framework for the Trump administration’s $5 million Gold Card now appears in US immigration systems, despite no formal announcement from the White House, according to WIRED.

WIRED magazine says it tested and discovered references to the “Trump Card Visa” in live application forms, including the Global Entry program that US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) operates.

Elon Musk’s DoGe has integrated the infrastructure across multiple federal agencies, according to WIRED’s investigation.

The team registered the domain trumpcard.gov in late March, connecting it to digital systems at CBP, the State Department, and the US Citizenship and Immigration Services Electronic Immigration System. These connections appear designed to support what WIRED describes as “what may eventually become a standalone website,” specifically for the Trump Card Visa program.

Global Entry applicants using foreign passports now encounter an option to indicate whether they “have submitted an application for a Trump Card Visa.”

The investigation confirmed this option appears for citizens from numerous countries, including China, Russia, Ukraine, and South Korea, though the system directs Canadians to the existing NEXUS program instead.

The emerging digital implementation follows President Trump’s announcement of plans to replace the EB-5 investor visa program with what Trump initially called a Gold Card. The new program would grant permanent US residency to wealthy individuals willing to pay $5 million directly to the US government.

During a March podcast appearance, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, who oversees the program alongside DoGE associates Marko Elez and Edward Coristine, claimed that the administration had already sold 1,000 gold cards.

According to the podcast, Elon Musk is personally overseeing the technology development, with Lutnick noting that “one of the most difficult parts” involves rewriting “all of the CPB infrastructure” that currently runs on “COBOL mainframes.”

The Trump Card would differ considerably from the current EB-5 program, which requires investments starting at $800,000 that create at least ten American jobs. The new program eliminates these job creation requirements, functioning more as a direct payment for residency than an investment scheme.

A critical question remains whether the administration possesses legal authority to implement such a program without congressional approval. Current immigration law dictates precise eligibility rules and caps for green cards, with legislation like the Immigration Act of 1990 establishing specific provisions.

Legal experts have questioned the administration’s authority to implement the program. Mona Shah of Mona Shah & Partners Global notes that “Article I, Section 8 of the US Constitution states that Congress controls Immigration law,” making it “highly unlikely that the government will discontinue the EB-5 program” or replace it without legislative action.

The administration projects that selling one million Trump Cards could generate $5 trillion toward reducing the national debt. While Trump has described the program as offering a “strong route to citizenship,” the administration maintains that it falls under executive authority because it doesn’t automatically grant citizenship.

Matthew Galati of Galati Law, however, expressed skepticism about demand at the proposed price point: “If the government offers the Gold Card only to individuals, demand would likely be extremely low. For context, demand for EB-5 peaked in 2015-16 when the minimum investment was $500,000 — a fraction of the $5 million Trump is proposing.”

The administration has not confirmed an official launch timeline, though Lutnick suggested in March that the program would go live “about two weeks from today.” The infrastructure appearing in government systems indicates the initiative continues advancing, even as questions about its legal foundation persist.

Ahmad Abbas is the Editor of IMI Daily, IMI’s flagship news publication.
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