IN THIS GUIDE · Assess an irreversible gift alongside the rest of the household’s commitments
Start with the GOLD CARD eligibility and application overview
Separate the fee, instructions and gift
As checked September 7, 2026, the individual framework describes a US$15,000 nonrefundable processing fee and a US$1 million gift after vetting as directed. Preserve the official sequence and the actual instructions received. Do not treat an initial payment as completion of all later requirements.
Determine whose proposal is being assessed
Identify whether the individual or corporate framework is involved. The corporate principal gift is different, with additional maintenance and transfer terms described by the official FAQ. A sponsor’s private agreement should be reviewed separately; it does not replace the government’s conditions or establish a guaranteed immigration outcome. For a corporate-sponsored principal, the official terms specify a US$2 million gift and a US$15,000 nonrefundable processing fee, with a 1% annual maintenance fee and a 5% transfer fee for reassignment subject to a new background check. The individual principal framework instead uses a US$1 million gift plus the US$15,000 nonrefundable fee. These figures do not promise a residence outcome.
Calculate the included family commitments
The FAQ describes a separate US$15,000 fee and US$1 million gift for each included spouse or eligible unmarried child under 21. Confirm each person’s inclusion and requirements. A single principal figure should not be presented as the entire household’s cost, and age questions require individual review.
Understand the different financial purpose
The gift should not be described as invested capital expected to earn a return. Compare it with EB-5’s separate capital, job-creation and at-risk requirements if both options are being assessed. Obtain appropriate immigration, tax and financial advice before making linked commitments. Avoid converting general processing language into an individual moving-date promise. Gold Card requires the applicable EB-1 or EB-2 eligibility basis as well as admissibility and visa availability. Corporate transfer terms do not automatically approve a replacement employee.
Ordinary immigration requirements still apply
Because the programme runs through existing employment-based classifications rather than a new one, the ordinary requirements of the classification used still apply, as do the ordinary grounds of inadmissibility. Because successful applicants proceed through EB-1 or EB-2, the substantive requirements of those classifications remain in place, and they are demanding in ways that have nothing to do with payment. 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. The official FAQ says that, as appropriately determined by the agencies and subject to availability, a successful applicant receives lawful permanent resident status as an EB-1 or EB-2 visa holder. Write down, once, where each thing lives: the official account and its reference, the address recorded on it, the payment records, and any private copy an adviser or employer holds. Put each proposed payment in a ledger identifying the payer, recipient, amount, purpose, refund rule and instruction authorizing it. The practical decision is whether a government source actually directs the next step or merely describes a prospective framework; if the direction is absent, pause rather than fill the gap with an intermediary's interpretation. If the instruction, identity details, and case record do not match, pause the transaction and obtain clarification through the official process; changing a payment reference after sending funds may not cure an incorrect payment.
Sources reviewed 2026-09-07. This guide covers a preparation focus; it is not an individual eligibility assessment.