Nicki Minaj Says She’s Finalizing U.S. Citizenship Paperwork After Receiving Trump’s “Free” Gold Card

By Theodore Bunker | Thursday, 29 January 2026 12:56 PM EST

Rapper Nicki Minaj announced Wednesday that she received a “Gold Card” from President Donald Trump hours after praising him at a U.S. Treasury Department event in Washington, D.C., promoting the administration’s new child investment accounts.

Minaj shared a photo of the immigration card, featuring Trump’s face, on social media with the caption “Welp.” She later stated she was “finalizing that citizenship paperwork as we speak as per MY wonderful, gracious, charming President,” adding she received the card free of charge despite its typical cost of $1 million.

“I wouldn’t have done it without you. Oh CitizenNIKA you are thee moment,” Minaj wrote in a separate post.

The White House did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the card or Minaj’s posts.

Created by executive order in September 2025, the Gold Card program is described as a fast track to lawful permanent residency for foreign nationals who make large financial contributions and pass background checks. Public guidance specifies a $1 million payment to the U.S. Treasury plus processing fees, with immigration lawyers comparing it to investor visa programs such as the EB-5.

Minaj, 43, was born in Trinidad and Tobago and raised in Queens, New York. In 2018, she wrote on social media that she arrived in the United States at age five and was present illegally at the time.

Her posts followed her appearance at the Treasury Department’s “Trump Accounts” summit in Washington on Wednesday, where she stood alongside President Trump and businessman Kevin O’Leary. At the event, Minaj called herself “probably the president’s No. 1 fan,” adding that her support would not waver despite criticism: “And that’s not going to change… The hate or what people have to say does not affect me at all.”

Trump praised Minaj during the summit, saying, “I just think she’s great” and joking he intended to let his nails grow long like hers. Trump noted, “I didn’t know Nicki, but I’ve been hearing over the years she’s a big Trump supporter… And she took a little heat because her community isn’t necessarily a Trump fan.”

The summit highlighted “Trump Accounts,” a federal program offering tax-advantaged investment accounts for children with an initial $1,000 government deposit for eligible U.S.-born babies. The pilot program targets children born between January 1, 2025, and December 31, 2028, requiring an adult to open the account via IRS election forms. Families can contribute up to $5,000 annually.

During the event, Trump stated Minaj planned to donate hundreds of thousands of dollars to “Trump Accounts” for her fans, though specific amounts and eligibility details were not disclosed.