IN THIS GUIDE · Identify which obligation belongs to each proposed applicant
Start with the GOLD CARD eligibility and application overview
Separate the principal proposal from the payer arrangement
The official process starts with a nonrefundable US$15,000 processing fee per person. After successful vetting and official instructions, the principal gift is US$1 million for an individual or US$2 million per corporate-sponsored employee. Hypothetical example: a company agrees to pay costs but the benefits letter does not identify the sponsored employee or scope. Clarify the real proposal; a company-funded invoice alone does not make every arrangement interchangeable.
Build the intended family list before the total
The official FAQ recommends including the spouse and eligible unmarried children under 21 intended to join as part of the initial application. Each adds a US$1 million gift and a nonrefundable US$15,000 processing fee, including under corporate sponsorship. Identify actual relationships and ages rather than using an employer’s broader benefits definition. Do not assume a later addition is automatic, free or prohibited without the applicable instructions.
Account for continuing corporate terms
Corporate terms include 1% annual maintenance and a 5% transfer charge with a new background check. The FAQ describes conditional reuse of a prior gift for a new employee without another US$2 million gift; that financial mechanism does not approve the replacement person. Separate those terms from private employment arrangements and any additional official visa-related charges.
Plan from the actual decision rather than the payment
The successful applicant’s classification is EB-1 or EB-2 as determined by the government, subject to eligibility, admissibility and visa availability. The gift follows successful vetting and instructions and has no promised investment return. A receipt, benefits letter or advertised processing description is not a guarantee of approval, citizenship or a moving date. Present U.S. activities still require the appropriate permission.
Follow the official payment sequence and individual amounts
The program does not waive inadmissibility, so a prior refusal, a criminal matter, a misrepresentation finding, or an immigration violation remains what it was before any fee was paid. Before a payment is authorized, the official programme material and any accompanying presidential action should be read in their current form, and the amounts, the sequence of steps and the treatment of family members should be confirmed there. Follow verified official instructions for the amount and payment method instead of assuming an exchange quotation proves the required sum was credited. Confirm the recipient, amount, timing, and written official instruction before sending money; retain the payment confirmation and the communication that authorized it. A financial commitment under either framework does not waive a known ground of inadmissibility, so any such concern should be assessed before either path is finalized. Confirm the official request, payee, portal instructions, and applicant identity, and re-verify every term before funds move. Compare the documents required for the claimed EB-1 or EB-2 basis with the route actually claimed, then resolve admissibility and visa availability before treating a payment instruction as a result.
Identify what the existing employment-based case has already established
The framework operates through existing employment-based permanent residence classifications rather than creating a new one, with successful applicants proceeding under the first or second employment-based preference. The current official framework requires the applicant to be eligible for lawful permanent resident status, admissible to the United States and have a visa available. The gift, made when instructed after successful vetting, serves as evidence of the specified benefit the program relies on. The first review should identify the person or corporate sponsor named in the official file, the application reference, the precise requested document, and the payment record associated with that instruction. If the details connecting the two were entered by a third person, whether an assistant, a relative or a consultant, that person is the first one to speak to, because nothing else moves until the channel is right.
Sources reviewed 2026-09-08. This guide covers a preparation focus; it is not an individual eligibility assessment.