The government department headed by magnate Elon Musk is administrating “golden visas” that will grant permanent residency in the United States to migrants who pay $5 million, The New York Times reported Wednesday.
U.S. President Donald Trump has previously presented the “golden visa” (also known as the “golden card”) as an immigration permit for millionaire who wish to settle in the country and who will enjoy the same privileges as permanent residents, who possess the so-called “green card.”
According to The Times, citing sources familiar with the matter and documents, Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has been in charge of creating the website and application process for the “golden visas” since at least last month.
And it cites three DOGE employees involved in the project: Marko Elez, a former SpaceX employee linked to an anonymous X account that made racist comments; Edward Coristine, an engineer fired from a company for leaking confidential data; and Joe Gebbia, one of the founders of Airbnb.
These three engineers have been coordinating with other agencies to find ways to “expedite the typical immigration screening process, which requires interviews and background checks, and obtain residency approval for high-net-worth applicants within two weeks.”
It’s noteworthy that the DOGE is in charge of the system for selling the “golden visa,” given that the official mission of the department, created specifically for Musk, is to cut federal government spending to streamline the bureaucratic apparatus, not to seek new sources of revenue.
When he introduced this initiative last February, Trump said it “will bring a lot of people to our country, who will be rich and very successful, and who will spend a lot of money, pay a lot of taxes, and employ a lot of people. We believe it will be a great success,” the president stated.