How to hire immigrants to work at your company for less than $5 million

Lately, there's been a lot of buzz about President Trump’s proposed “gold card” visa plan. In addition to wealthy people buying their own lawful permanent residence, he supposes that employers like Apple could sponsor top-tier foreign graduates of American universities for lawful permanent residence —at a staggering cost of $5 million per applicant.

Now, I have to say, this plan raises some serious red flags. If you’re an employer considering investing in top global talent, you should know that there are far more cost-effective ways to sponsor qualified immigrants. Let’s break it down.

The Reality of Employer-Sponsored Green Cards

Under U.S. immigration law, green card holders (lawful permanent residents) have unrestricted work authorization. Once someone gets a green card, they are not permanently tied to a particular employer. They can stay with the company that sponsored them—or leave the next month for a new opportunity.

So, why would any employer spend $5 million on sponsoring a worker who could walk away as soon as they get a green card? That’s not how business works, and certainly not how immigration law is structured. Employers don’t “own” an employee’s future labor. That idea starts to resemble something we abolished a long time ago in this country.

Better, Legal, and Affordable Immigration Options

The good news? You don’t need a “gold card” or an inflated price tag to bring top international talent into your company. U.S. immigration law already provides several affordable and effective visa pathways that businesses are using every day to hire and retain skilled workers.

Some of the best options include:

• H-1B Visas – A popular work visa for professionals in specialized fields like tech, engineering, and finance. While subject to an annual cap, it’s still a solid option for many employers (and the cap doesn't apply to H-1B workers transferring from one company to another).
• O-1 Visas – For individuals with extraordinary abilities in sciences, arts, or business. If you're looking at top graduates from places like Harvard, Stanford, or Wharton (as Trump suggests), this could be a great fit.
• EB-2 and EB-3 Green Cards – A more structured, employer-sponsored green card process for skilled workers and professionals.
• L-1 Visas – Perfect for international companies transferring key employees to their U.S. offices.
• National Interest Waiver (NIW) – Ideal for exceptional talents who can prove their work benefits the U.S. as a whole.

All of these options are widely used, legally sound, and don’t require writing a $5 million check just to take part.

Let’s Find the Right Immigration Strategy for You

If you’re a business owner or employer serious about hiring top international talent, don’t pin your hopes on Trump's gold card. Instead, let’s talk about real, proven immigration strategies that work under current laws.

My team at Locke Immigration Law has years of experience helping employers secure visas and green cards for their employees—efficiently, affordably, and legally. If you have a candidate in mind or simply want to explore your options, give me a call. For $5 million, I could find you an entire team of highly skilled professionals using the immigration system we already have in place, and still have money left over to buy some Trump coin.