As of early 2026, the Trump administration has introduced the "Gold Card" initiative, allowing foreign nationals to fast-track green card acquisition by donating $1 million (individual) or $2 million (corporate) to the Department of Commerce. This policy aims to attract high-net-worth individuals, replacing some traditional investment-based visas.
Recent green card rule changes focus on stricter vetting, expanded biometric collection, and tightened "public charge" definitions, impacting entry/exit, benefit access, and travel, with a new rule requiring photos at all ports for non-citizens (including green card holders) starting late 2025, plus paused immigrant visas for certain countries and potential scrutiny for long absences from the U.S.. Key areas involve more intense financial checks for public charge, mandatory facial scans, and strict monitoring of time spent abroad to prevent abandonment.
The Trump Gold Card is a proposed type of investor visa leading to a residency permit for the United States, announced by United States president Donald Trump, that would allow investors a fast track path to residency and citizenship if they pay at least $1 million USD to the government.
New rules for Green Card holders in late 2025 and early 2026 focus heavily on mandatory biometric entry/exit scans (facial recognition) for everyone, including children and seniors, creating potential travel delays. Other key changes involve tighter vetting for marriage-based applications, increased focus on tax compliance, reduced EAD validity (18 months), and scrutiny of long travel absences, all aiming to prevent fraud and increase monitoring through automated systems.
It ends illegal immigration, restores law and order, provides legal status (no amnesty) for certain long-term undocumented immigrants, strengthens the American workforce, modernizes our legal immigration system, and helps pay down the national debt.
Only an immigration judge has the power to revoke a green card. There are several reasons green card holders could be eligible for deportation, including criminal convictions such as rape, murder or drug trafficking. The government also can deport permanent residents if they commit immigration fraud.
List of people granted executive clemency in the second Trump presidency. In his role as the 47th president of the United States (January 20, 2025 – present), Donald Trump granted executive clemency to more than 1,600 individuals as of July 23, 2025, all of whom were charged or convicted of federal criminal offenses.
Estimates for the number of unauthorized immigrants in the U.S. in 2025 vary, but reports from mid-to-late 2025 suggested numbers around 14 to 15.4 million in early 2025, with some data showing a potential decline later in the year due to increased enforcement and voluntary departures, though a precise final figure for 2025 isn't set, with 2023 data from Pew Research Center and Migration Policy Institute pointing to 14 million as a recent high.
Green Card Cost
Green card costs in 2025 can be substantial, typically ranging from $2,000 to $3,000 for family-based applications and $2,000 to $5,000 or more for employment-based applications, especially if premium processing is used.
Initial reports suggested that the Gold Card visa might replace EB-5. The Commerce Secretary even indicated this intention, while the president hinted that companies could use the Gold Card to purchase legal permanent residence for employees.
Employment-based Green Cards
Employment-based visas offer one of the most straightforward and fastest ways to get a U.S. Green Card.
Biden's recent immigration policies include a significant June 2024 initiative offering temporary legal status (Parole in Place) and a path to citizenship for undocumented spouses of U.S. citizens, alongside tighter border enforcement, including asylum restrictions and expanded entry bans for certain countries. The administration has also streamlined legal pathways for some groups, like Cuban, Haitian, Nicaraguan, and Venezuelan nationals, while increasing scrutiny and vetting for others, reflecting a mix of enforcement and humanitarian efforts.
To become a U.S. citizen with a green card, you generally must wait 5 years as a lawful permanent resident (LPR) before applying for naturalization, or 3 years if you are married to and living with a U.S. citizen, with specific residency and physical presence rules applying to both, plus passing English/civics tests and demonstrating good moral character. The total process, including application processing, usually adds several months to over a year after meeting residency, with processing times varying.
The Constitution guarantees due process rights to all “persons,” not just citizens. This means non-citizens, including undocumented immigrants, are entitled to fair treatment under the law. This includes the right to defend themselves in court.
A federal pardon can be issued prior to the start of a legal case or inquiry, prior to any indictments being issued, for unspecified offenses, and prior to or after a conviction for a federal crime. President Gerald R. Ford's broad federal pardon of former president Richard M.
In April 2024, he was indicted on charges related to the 2020 election in Arizona. He was later disbarred in the state of New York in July, and in the District of Columbia in September. In November 2025, Trump pardoned Giuliani.
A green card can be revoked if the holder commits certain types of crimes. U.S. law distinguishes between different categories of crimes, with some being more serious in terms of their impact on immigration status.
New rules for Green Card holders in late 2025 and early 2026 focus heavily on mandatory biometric entry/exit scans (facial recognition) for everyone, including children and seniors, creating potential travel delays. Other key changes involve tighter vetting for marriage-based applications, increased focus on tax compliance, reduced EAD validity (18 months), and scrutiny of long travel absences, all aiming to prevent fraud and increase monitoring through automated systems.
1.6 million people lost legal right to stay in U.S. in 2025 The 1.6 million number marks the largest-ever effort to strip permissions for immigrants who attempted to migrate to the country through legal means, advocates say.
Yes, you can often stay anonymous after winning the lottery, but it depends heavily on your state's laws, with some states offering full anonymity and others requiring public disclosure, though many states allow claiming via a trust or LLC to hide your identity, and even in states where it's public, you can take steps like using a disguise or keeping quiet to protect your privacy.