No one is buying Trump's Gold Card? Immigration attorneys say the $1 million visa scheme is 'unethical'

US President Donald Trump’s “Gold Card” visa scheme is struggling to win over the wealthy foreigners it was designed to attract, with several immigration lawyers warning clients to stay away from the programme over legal and financial concerns.

According to a Washington Post report, attorneys who advise ultra-wealthy clients say ongoing litigation, tax complications and uncertainty around the visa’s legal standing have made the scheme too risky to recommend. The visa was unveiled by Trump in June last year and was formally launched through an executive order in September. It costs between $1 million and $2 million, along with a $15,000 application fee. The administration has also promoted it as a $5 million route for wealthy investors.

Even lawyers with close links to the Trump family have distanced themselves from the programme. Michael Wildes, an immigration attorney who has represented first lady Melania Trump, her parents, members of the Kushner family and several Miss Universe winners, said he would refuse to take on clients seeking a Gold Card.

“It would be unethical of me to retain them,” Wildes told the Washington Post.

The biggest issue for many attorneys is that the visa has not been approved by Congress, meaning a future administration could potentially scrap it. Rosanna Berardi, another immigration lawyer, said that uncertainty alone was enough to discourage clients from applying.

“As immigration counsel, our obligation is always to protect our clients’ interests,” she told the Post.

She added: “And we do not believe it is appropriate to recommend a program with such significant legal uncertainty and financial risk, even when clients express a desire to proceed.”

A handful of applicants are still testing the waters. Immigration attorney Mona Shah said she currently has two clients, from Nigeria and Pakistan, at different stages of the application process. However, she said she warned both of them that the programme could amount to “false advertising” and may ultimately lead nowhere. According to Shah, her clients were prepared to lose the money if the plan collapsed.

US government figures suggest interest in the programme remains far below the administration’s ambitious projections. A Department of Homeland Security (DHS) court filing last week revealed that only 338 people had submitted requests for a Trump Gold Card, while just 165 applicants had paid the $15,000 processing fee.

That stands in contrast to earlier claims from Commerce secretary Howard Lutnick, who previously predicted the programme would generate more than $100 billion by issuing 80,000 Gold Cards. Lutnick also claimed in March that 1,000 Gold Cards had already been issued before the programme had officially launched.

The DHS filing further stated that Gold Card applicants would not jump ahead of EB-1 or EB-2 visa applicants, categories reserved for highly skilled and extraordinary workers.