Overview
- Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick told House appropriators on Thursday that Homeland Security has approved one applicant and is reviewing hundreds more.
- The program, which began taking applications in December, charges a $15,000 DHS fee and then a $1 million contribution for an expedited path to EB-1 or EB-2 residency, with a $2 million corporate option.
- Homeland Security conducts background checks, the Commerce Department manages the contributions, and the State Department issues the visas.
- Lutnick’s testimony contrasts with past claims of large early “sales,” the approved recipient has not been named, and officials have offered only broad assurances on how the money will be used.
- Immigrant groups and watchdogs have filed lawsuits and FOIA cases seeking records and challenging the program’s legality, a fight that could limit growth given visa caps and multi-agency review.