Trump Calls Student Deportations a ‘Shame’, Launches New Million-Dollar Visa

International

oi-Madhuri Adnal

Published: Thursday, December 11, 2025, 12:52 [IST]

Donald
Trump
said
that
it
is
a
shame
that
thousands
of
foreign
students,
including
those
from
India
and
China,
have
to
leave
the
country
after
graduating
from
top
American
universities.
He
made
the
remarks
while
launching
the
‘Trump
Gold
Card’
which
the
US
President
claims
will
enable
companies
to
hire
and
retain
such
talent
in
the
country.

Trump
used
a
White
House
roundtable
to
formally
launch
the
‘Trump
Gold
Card’,
a
new
million-dollar
visa
programme
that
provides
a
pathway
to
US
citizenship
and
allows
companies
to
hire
and
keep
high-skilled
foreign
graduates.

“If
you
graduate
number
one
in
your
class
–
Wharton,
Harvard,
MIT
–
you
still
have
to
go
back
to
India,
China,
France,
wherever
you
came
from.
Very
hard
to
stay.
It’s
a
shame.
It’s
ridiculous,” Trump
said.
“We’re
taking
care
of
that.”

What
is
the
‘Trump
Gold
Card’?

The
visa
programme
allows
individuals
to
obtain
expedited
US
residency
by
paying
a
non-refundable
$15,000
processing
fee
and,
after
vetting,
making
a
$1
million
“gift” to
the
US
government.
A
corporate
version
of
the
card
will
allow
companies
to
sponsor
foreign
employees
for
a
$2
million
gift.

The
website
trumpcard.gov,
which
went
live
Wednesday
afternoon,
promises
“US
residency
in
record
time”.

Trump
described
the
new
visa
as
“somewhat
like
a
green
card,
but
with
big
advantages
–
much
better,
much
more
powerful”.

Commerce
secretary
Howard
Lutnick
said
both
individuals
and
corporations
will
undergo
“full
and
best
vetting” to
ensure
only
highly
qualified
applicants
benefit.

Card
holders
will
receive
a
path
to
citizenship
after
five
years,
provided
they
meet
good-conduct
criteria.

A
new
hiring
tool
for
US
companies?

Flanked
by
IBM
CEO
Arvind
Krishna
and
Dell
CEO
Michael
Dell,
Trump
said
the
Gold
Card
directly
addresses
a
longstanding
complaint
from
American
tech
leaders
–
that
they
cannot
reliably
hire
top
foreign
graduates
because
of
uncertain
visa
rules.

Trump
said
Apple
CEO
Tim
Cook
repeatedly
raised
concerns
that
companies
“don’t
know
whether
or
not
you
can
keep
the
person” after
hiring
them.

“Students
are
thrown
out
of
the
country,”
Trump
said.
“It’s
not
going
to
be
a
problem
anymore.”

Under
the
new
programme:

Companies
can
purchase
a
Gold
Card
and
assign
it
to
an
employee.
When
that
employee
gains
citizenship,
the
same
corporate
card
can
be
reassigned
to
another
worker.
Corporate
cards
carry
an
annual
1%
maintenance
fee
and
a
5%
transfer
fee.
Trump
argued
that
the
programme
will
help
the
US
retain
global
talent
while
raising
“many
billions
of
dollars”
for
federal
use.

‘A
much
better
form
of
green
card’
Positioning
the
programme
as
a
dramatic
overhaul
of
the
skilled-migration
system,
Trump
said
companies
will
now
have
“certainty”
when
recruiting
from
elite
institutions.

“If
IBM
wants
to
hire
someone
at
the
top
of
their
class
at
Wharton
but
can’t
guarantee
they
stay,
they
can
buy
the
Gold
Card
–
and
that
employee
can
be
here
for
a
very
long
period
of
time,”
he
said.
“You
can’t
get
green
cards.
They’re
impossible
to
get.
This
is
much
better.”

Why
Trump
says
it
matters

According
to
the
administration,
the
Gold
Card
aligns
with
Trump’s
push
to
favour
“the
best
people”
over
the
current
green-card
system,
which
Lutnick
claimed
brings
in
immigrants
who
on
average
earn
less
than
Americans
and
are
more
likely
to
rely
on
federal
assistance.

“This
will
ensure
only
great
people
come
into
this
country,”
Lutnick
said.
“It
is
a
gift
to
the
United
States
of
America,
to
help
America
be
great
again
under
Donald
Trump.”

How
to
apply
for
‘Gold
card’

The
application
process
is
now
open.
Applicants
must:

Visit
trumpcard.gov
Submit
an
online
form
Pay
the
$15,000
processing
fee
Undergo
federal
vetting
Make
the
$1
million
(individual)
or
$2
million
(corporate)
contribution
upon
approval
A
third
tier
–
the
Platinum
Card,
allowing
stays
of
up
to
270
days
–
will
be
launched
later,
according
to
the
website.