Soon after its introduction, the interest in the United States’ Gold Card started to decline, according to experts.

The diminishment of interest in this program, according to some experts, is its US $5 million price tag, VisaGuide.World reports.

In spite of the fact that the US President, Donald Trump, considered the price “a bargain”, stressing that golden visas would “sell like crazy”, people are shifting their focus towards more economic schemes, according to experts.

The business development director and head of Ashtons’ Cyprus office, Denis Kravchenko, told Property Wire that due to the minimum amount required for investments, not enough people are going to choose the US Gold Card.

Kravchenko said that as a result, it may not bring enough money to help reduce the national debt, which is among the main goals of this program.

Trump may face further challenges due to there being other countries in the world that offer far more accessible programs.

The United States President, Donald Trump, introduced the new scheme in February 2025, as a replacement for the US EB-5 visa program, which also offers permanent residency in exchange for a far lower price tag starting at $800,000.

However wealthy nationals are opting for programs run by other countries, particularly those offered by European nations.

Surge in Interest for European Golden Visas

A recent report from Property Wire notes that even at its peak, the interest for the US Golden Visa Program never outpaced the interest expressed by people for Golden Visa Programs offered in European countries.

The same mentions European countries such as Malta, Portugal, Hungary and Greece for their Residency-by-Investment programs, with Greece’s scheme being the most famous one at present.

It’s Greece’s Golden Visa opportunities that are proving most popular of all. Despite the entry investment threshold recently being raised, it is still possible to obtain residency by purchasing property for just €250,000.

He said that young Americans are highly interested in Greece’s Golden Visa Program.

Somewhat ironically, it’s young Americans who are driving the recent surge in demand for Greek Golden Visas which, in 2024, set a record, issuing 17,194 visas (based on 11 months of data).

Greece offers residency in exchange for investments of €250,000. In the most famous parts of the country, the minimum amount required for investments is €800,000. The minimum amount required for the Hellenic Republic’s Golden Visa Program is €250,000, reaching €800,000 in some of the most famous parts of the country.

However, the US Secretary, Howard Lutnick, recently said that a total of 1,000 golden visas were sold in the US within a single day. He also said that there are about 37 million people worldwide capable of securing such a visa in the US.

In addition, the US President, Donald Trump expressed confidence that up to one million Gold Cards can be sold.