US President Donald Trump launched a new "gold card" immigration plan worth $1 million. The program aims to bring in wealthy, highly skilled immigrants instead of "below-average" earners. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said, "The average Green Card holder in America makes 1/3 less than the average American. We should be bringing in the best and the brightest—and that's what POTUS is changing about our immigration system." The gold card offers legal residency and a path to citizenship for individuals paying $1 million and corporations paying $2 million for each foreign employee. Trump said all funds would go to the US government, adding the program could generate billions of dollars for the Treasury. He described the card as "Basically, it's a green card but much better. Much more powerful, a much stronger path." He wants US companies to keep "outstanding graduates" from top universities, who often leave the country after finishing their studies. "You can't hire people from the best colleges because you don't know whether or not you can keep the person," Trump said. This new scheme will replace the EB-5 visa, which since 1990 has required $1 million investment and creation of 10 jobs. However, Trump and Lutnick did not comment on job creation rules or program limits. Each applicant must pay $15,000 for background checks to "make sure these people absolutely qualify to be in America," Lutnick explained. He emphasized the shift away from "below-average" immigrants: "So, same visas, but now just full of the best people." More than 24 countries offer similar investor visas. Trump said the US will now compete for top global talent, including graduates from China, India, and France. "The companies are going to be very happy," he said.