Trump to Bring Major Changes in Visa and Green Card Policies

The White House is signaling a major overhaul of U.S. immigration policy, targeting both green card applications and H-1B visas.

Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said that the current green card process admits too many lower-earning immigrants, noting that many holders earn less on average than U.S. citizens.

Green cards, which grant permanent residency, are often awarded based on family ties, employer sponsorship, or lottery systems. Critics have argued that this method does not prioritize applicants who could contribute most to the U.S. economy.

President Donald Trump's administration could push toward a more merit-based system as it looks to reform immigration policy, prioritizing higher-earning and skilled applicants over the current lottery and family-based pathways.

Lutnick suggested that the United States should prioritize applicants with higher salaries or greater economic potential.

"I am involved in changing the H1B program because that is terrible. We are going to change the green card. The average American makes $75,000 a year, and the average green card recipient $66,000," said Lutnick.

"So, we are taking the bottom quartile. Why are we doing that? That's what Donald Trump is going to change. That's the gold card that's coming. We are going to start picking the best people to come into the country."

These changes could limit opportunities for middle- and lower-income immigrants who have historically contributed to U.S. communities.

The proposed "gold card" program that Lutnick referenced would grant residency to foreign nationals who invest $5 million in the U.S. This initiative aims to attract high-net-worth individuals to contribute to the U.S. economy.

Meanwhile, the administration is moving to reform the H-1B visa system, which allows U.S. companies to hire foreign professionals in specialized fields. Under the current system, visas are distributed through a random lottery.

The proposed plan would replace the lottery with a wage-based tier system, giving priority to higher-paid applicants. This change is part of a broader effort to ensure that immigration policies serve national economic interests.