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In this special report on India Today Global, anchor Geeta Mohan details President Donald Trump's launch of a new 'Gold Card' visa programme, offering a fast-track to US citizenship for a $1 million fee. The episode also features a strong response from Hope Walz to Donald Trump Jr. regarding the use of ableist slurs against her father, Governor Tim Walz. Additionally, the bulletin covers the strategic appointment of Rahul Rajgothra as Mauritius's National Security Advisor, highlighting India's deepening security role in the Indian Ocean region amid growing geopolitical rivalry.
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00:00Hello and welcome, I'm Geeta Mohan and you're watching India Today Global.
00:05The top story, contrary to Trump administration's policies on immigration and H-1B visa,
00:10the US president has unveiled a new visa initiative, a direct path to citizenship.
00:16A gold card visa that offers wealthy foreigners a fast track to US citizenship for a $1 million fee,
00:23with an even pricier platinum version on the way.
00:26A report by Mahashwetalala.
00:30A day after Trump administration claimed that it had revoked 85,000 visas, mostly students,
00:38and the heavy clampdown on immigration,
00:40US president launched a new program which will enable rich foreigners to buy an American golden visa
00:46for a whopping $1 million and a platinum version for $5 million.
00:52Making the announcement on his Truth Social,
00:55Trump said this was a direct path to citizenship for all qualified and vetted people.
01:01He also assured that the gold visa would fill the country's exchequer.
01:05Very excitingly for me and for the country, we've just launched the Trump gold card.
01:13It was about 30 minutes from now.
01:19The set goes up and all funds go to the United States government.
01:24Could be a tremendous amount of money.
01:25This is in accordance to an executive order in September which requires individuals to pay $1 million
01:36while businesses sponsoring employees are required to pay $2 million.
01:41The firm then are required to pay a 1% annual maintenance fee of $20,000
01:47and a 5% transfer fee of $100,000 each time they want to switch the visa from one employee to another.
01:55So, for an individual, it's $1 million, and for a corporation, it's $2 million.
02:04And, uh, as the president said, for a corporation, uh, they spent $2 million.
02:09They can then have an employee, uh, full vetting, the best vetting the government has ever done,
02:16$15,000 vetting to make sure these people absolutely qualify to be an American, absolutely qualify.
02:24And then the company can keep them here, and they have a path to citizenship, right?
02:30Obviously, they have to be perfect, uh, people in America.
02:34And having passed the vetting, after five years, uh, they'll be available to become citizens.
02:38And then the corporation can put someone else on the card.
02:41So, for a company, they can keep putting people on the card, one person per card.
02:47The gold card is a new U.S. visa program which will facilitate legal permanent residency
02:54and a pathway to U.S. citizenship for individuals and corporations
02:58willing to invest significant funds in the country.
03:02This program is in contrast to Trump's immigration policy,
03:06which claims that American jobs are being taken away by foreigners.
03:10Spouses and unmarried children under 21 can also apply, but each must pay additional fees.
03:16A processing fee of $15,000 is non-refundable.
03:21Other charges may include visa-related fee and medical exam cost.
03:25The gold card status can be revoked for national security reasons or serious criminal activity.
03:32Some countries may have visa wait times of a year or more,
03:36and all applicants are subject to U.S. taxes on worldwide income.
03:40Meanwhile, a Trump platinum card is also coming soon.
03:44The card would allow holders to spend up to 270 days in the U.S.
03:50without being subject to U.S. taxes on non-U.S. income.
03:54Mahashweta Lala, Bureau Report, India Today.
03:56To discuss what the new visa policy really means, I'm being joined by Dr. Karan Gupta.
04:03He's an educationist and an immigration expert, counsels a lot of students going abroad.
04:08Thank you so much, Dr. Gupta, for joining us.
04:10Now, Trump has unveiled this million-dollar gold card and platinum card, which is on its way.
04:15But is it somehow in contrast to Trump administration's immigration policies per se?
04:22And how do you see this benefit those students who are studying in the U.S. and aspire to work there?
04:29Thank you, Geeta, for having me on the show.
04:32So, Trump's policies have repeatedly signaled that the United States wants two things.
04:39Exceptional skill and economic value.
04:43Indian students, especially those in STEM and tech, already fit that definition.
04:48So, the new gold card sits in the same direction.
04:51It appeals to individuals who are both highly skilled and financially valuable to the U.S. economy.
04:58Now, could this benefit Indian talent?
05:00Potentially, yes.
05:01Because, in theory, the top employers, whether it's Apple, Netflix, Microsoft, or any global tech giant,
05:08can easily afford a $2 million fee if they believe that the candidate is extraordinary.
05:13It gives companies a mechanism to bypass the visa lottery or annual caps for the rare profiles that those companies consider irreplaceable.
05:24For India, which produces some of the world's strongest STEM graduates, this only reinforces the attractiveness of our talent.
05:33But we should keep this in perspective because this is not a mass market pathway.
05:39For the overwhelming majority of Indian students, the journey remains the same.
05:45Strong academics, admissions to good universities, OPT, the STEM extension, and then the H-1B.
05:52Those structured routes continue to create real, long-term opportunities.
05:58So, what this gold card really signals is that the U.S. continues to value global talent
06:03and Indian students remain at the center of that demand.
06:10Right.
06:11Karan, will this gold card really gradually replace the H-1B visa?
06:15What can we expect in the near future?
06:18No.
06:19In my opinion, the gold card is not a replacement for the H-1B.
06:24It functions more like an investor class or premium contribution category, not a skill-based work visa.
06:31The H-1B sits in a completely different policy space.
06:35It's tied to critical skill shortages, employer demand, and the longer-term needs of the U.S. economy.
06:42The U.S. continues to heavily rely on Indian IT engineering talent.
06:50That reliance doesn't disappear because a premium option is introduced for a very small segment of individuals.
06:58For millions of aspiring students, the academic route, which is your OPT, STEM extensions, employer sponsorship,
07:05this remains the clearest and most dependable path.
07:09So, what should we expect going forward?
07:11The H-1B system will remain central to how skilled immigration functions.
07:18Universities will continue to be the main gateway for Indian students and employers will continue to sponsor the talent they need.
07:25So, a gold card may grab headlines, but it does not change the fundamental architecture of U.S. skilled immigration.
07:31If anything, it only reinforces the fact that the U.S. still wants high-quality global talent and India supplies a significant portion of it.
07:41United States representative Sydney Kim Lager Dove warned that President Donald Trump could go down in history as the president who lost India over tariff disputes and soaring visa fees.
07:58Kim Lager Dove was speaking during a congressional hearing on the U.S.-India strategic partnership.
08:02The remark comes as India is reeling under U.S.'s 50% tariff and a growing trade war.
08:08First, because of Russian oil and the recent tension over rice dumping, in which U.S. farmers allege India's rice imports is affecting the domestic market.
08:19She also displayed a selfie of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin sitting inside a car during the recently concluded visit of the Russian president.
08:29The selfie had gone viral, she said, the photograph speaks a thousand words about how U.S. policies are reshaping India's strategic consideration.
08:39She also criticized the 50% tariffs on India and an additional levy for buying Russian oil.
08:48Trump's policies towards India can only be described as cutting our nose to spite our face.
08:53And this is doing real and lasting damage to the strategic trust and mutual understanding between our two countries.
09:01Because let me be clear, being a coercive partner has a cost.
09:06And this poster is worth a thousand words.
09:10You do not get a Nobel Peace Prize by driving U.S. strategic partners into the arms of our adversaries.
09:17We must move with incredible urgency to mitigate the damage that this administration has done to the U.S.-India partnership and return to the cooperation that is essential to U.S. prosperity, security, and global leadership.
09:31Congress understands the stake of this relationship on a bipartisan basis.
09:35And I thank the chair for providing the opportunity to get that on the record today.
09:41I look forward to a robust discussion and I yield back.
09:47Now, Sidney Kamalagodav might be just one of the many lawmakers who fear what Trump's tariff policies could do to India-U.S. ties.
09:58We deep dive on what the impact of the recent policies are going to be and how that could shift alliances and strengthen certain alliances, particularly Russia, India, China.
10:10Watch here on Statecraft.
10:12The United States and India, two democracies with intertwined destinies in the Indo-Pacific, are facing what may be the most volatile stretch in their partnership yet.
10:24At the heart of the storm, President Donald Trump.
10:27And then what happened? Flush, flush, flush down the toilet, the capital that Americans have built over decades in service of Trump's personal grievances.
10:37The U.S. president has not just rattled trade and tariffs, but has taken aim at India's visa regimes, slapped unprecedented duties, and questioned New Delhi's strategic choices in a way that has both Democrats and Republicans in Washington sounding alarms.
10:55At a recent congressional hearing, Representative Sidney Kamalagodav didn't mince words, warning that Trump could become the president who lost India.
11:04The fact of the matter is that India and Russia have always been friends and would never give up on each other.
11:10But there is panic in America.
11:12Americans are rattled and they're asking,
11:14Is Washington's aggressive stance risking the drift of India toward Russia and China, fundamentally reshaping the balance of power in South Asia?
11:23Hello and welcome.
11:24You're watching Statecraft with me, Gita Mohan.
11:34Trump's ire is not limited to visas and tariffs.
11:37His public focus on India's Russian oil purchases, a 50% tariff linked directly to Moscow, signals a willingness to penalize India for foreign policy choices Washington disagrees with.
11:51Lawmakers like Ami Bera of the Democratic Party emphasize that India's ties with Russia can be leveraged positively in the Ukraine conflict, not punished.
12:02Yet, Trump's punitive measures, coupled with criticism of BRICS participation, signal to New Delhi that its strategic autonomy is under siege, threatening a tilt toward a multipolar alignment that sidesteps the U.S.
12:17The Tianjin SCO summit photo, showing Modi with Putin and Xi, became a symbolic flashpoint.
12:23Trump's reaction on Truth Social, calling it a snub and declaring the U.S. lost India, underscores how U.S. policy is being interpreted abroad.
12:33Congressional testimony highlighted concern.
12:36Democrats and Republicans alike recognize the defining role of India in a free Indo-Pacific.
12:42Bill Huizenga of the Republican Party stressed that the U.S.-India partnership is central to countering authoritarianism,
12:49ensuring resilient supply chains and shaping regional rules.
12:53Yet, Trump administration's unilateral measures threaten this very partnership, creating friction where coordination is essential.
13:02Modi's balancing act, maintaining relations with both Washington and Moscow, is a nuanced exercise Trump's policies fail to respect.
13:11Is the U.S. inadvertently accelerating the very alliances it seeks to contain?
13:17Former Democratic vice presidential candidate and Minnesota governor, Tim Walz's daughter, Hope Walz, urged son of President Donald Trump, Donald Trump Jr., to seek assistance for his daddy issues.
13:31He had posted the video on TikTok after President Trump called her father and the Democratic governor retarded.
13:38She responded to Donald Trump Jr. after he supported his father for the use of the term to refer Governor Walz.
13:45She later deleted the video.
13:47Hope Walz said she felt bad for Donald Jr. and his family because they insulted people just to make themselves feel good.
13:54Trump Jr. shared a clip of Governor Walz saying that people were driving past his house and shouting the R word.
14:00He believed this started because Trump used the same word about him in public.
14:06Instead of condemning it, Trump Jr. added a comment saying those people were right to use the slur.
14:12They're not wrong, he wrote.
14:13Oh, Don, it is so clear that your dad does not love you.
14:22Or if there is any love there, it's not for your compassion, like my dad loves me, but instead your cruelty.
14:30And that's not love.
14:32That's not love.
14:34I genuinely feel sad that you and your family feel the need to degrade and put down large swaths of the country in an attempt to make yourself feel better.
14:46However, my family and I will always be richer than yours.
14:53Always.
14:54Because we don't find joy in this.
14:57We find joy in each other and spending time together and doing quality, good things for this world together, not tearing other people down.
15:07Those daddy issues are so, so clear.
15:11And I genuinely do feel sad for you.
15:13I do.
15:13I really hope, I really hope you get the help you need.
15:17In the meantime, I'm going to continue building up that, you know, joy and love and happiness with my family.
15:25Because at the end of the day, that's what matters.
15:27So, good luck, Don.
15:30Good luck.
15:33Mauritius's national security is built on an unusual foundation.
15:38Indian appointed NSAs for nearly 50 years.
15:41Our next report breaks down the history.
15:44Rasgothra's appointment, India-China rivalry, and how this unique model shapes power politics in the Indian Ocean.
16:01Mauritius may be small on the map, but its national security story is anything but.
16:06For decades, the island nation has done something highly unusual.
16:10It has imported its national security advisors, mainly from India.
16:16And New Delhi's latest pick, former ITBP chief Rahul Rasgothra, has once again pushed this tradition into the spotlight.
16:24On the surface, Rasgothra's appointment looks routine.
16:29An experienced officer moves from guarding India's toughest borders to advising a friendly government.
16:35But dig deeper, and it becomes clear that this is a carefully calibrated geopolitical move.
16:40For years, Mauritius has relied on Indian expertise for its security.
16:46This began in 1974, when Mauritius signed a defense agreement that effectively replaced the UK with India as its primary security partner.
16:56The turning point came in the early 1980s during a period of political instability.
17:01Rumors of a coup prompted then-Prime Minister Anirudh Jaganath to seek help from Indira Gandhi.
17:08That episode and the dramatic but aborted Operation Lal Dora, which was India's plan for a potential military intervention in Mauritius,
17:16deepened India-Mauritius' security ties.
17:19What followed was a long line of Indian NSAs stationed in Port Louis.
17:25Many drawn from RNAW, the Intelligence Bureau, or the Indian Army.
17:30Officers like Major General J. N. Tamini, B. B. Nandi, Gurinder Singh, and others shaped the island's security architecture for decades.
17:39This wasn't just about technical expertise, it was about political trust.
17:44Mauritius saw India as a reliable partner.
17:47India saw Mauritius as a friendly outpost in a strategic ocean.
17:51But Rasgothra's appointment marks a slight shift.
17:54Traditionally, the NSAs of Mauritius were deeply embedded in external intelligence work, raw operational experience, covert backgrounds, global postings.
18:04Rasgothra, by contrast, comes from a career rooted in internal security through the Intelligence Bureau and ITBP.
18:11He's known for calm handling of sensitive situations, strong counter-insurgency grounding and experience across India's toughest borders,
18:20including the volatile frontier with China.
18:23China's growing footprint, major power rivalry, cyber risks, maritime competition, and hybrid threats demand advisors who understand both domestic security and geopolitical nuance.
18:43Rasgothra fits that hybrid mould.
18:45Mauritius, meanwhile, has become far more than a friendly diaspora nation.
18:49It is now a key piece of India's strategic depth, home to coastal radar systems, hydrographic surveys, maritime patrols, and growing intelligence cooperation.
18:59At the same time, China has invested heavily in Mauritian infrastructure, trade and diplomacy.
19:05Port Louis wants to remain friendly to both Beijing and New Delhi, but its reliance on Indian NSAs raises awkward questions.
19:14Critics ask, can an NSA appointed and supplied by India genuinely represent Mauritian interests in a fast-changing region?
19:22Especially at forums like the Colombo Security Conclave, where security policy is shaped at the NSA level?
19:29And what happens if India wants a tougher line on China than Mauritius is comfortable with?
19:34As global rivalries sharpen and the Indian Ocean becomes contested space,
19:39Mauritius may soon have to decide whether importing its NSA still serves its national interest.
19:45For now though, India's quiet, steady operators like Rahul Rasgothra remain central to the island's security
19:52story and to New Delhi's broader Indian Ocean strategy.
19:56With Farhan Khan, Bureau Report, India Today Global.
20:05That's all on this edition of India Today Global.
20:08Stay tuned to India Today for all the latest news and updates.
20:12Goodbye and take care.
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