IN THIS GUIDE · Review corporate sponsorship conditions beyond the initial payment
Start with the GOLD CARD eligibility and application overview
Identify the actual corporate proposal
Hypothetical example: an employer considers sponsorship but has not reviewed what happens if its staffing plan changes. Identify the applicant, payer and actual official framework. Do not infer transfer or reuse rights from the employer’s ordinary business practices.
Read continuing conditions as conditions
Current official corporate terms include maintenance and transfer-related obligations under their actual rules. A fee percentage does not by itself establish an unconditional right to substitute a person. Confirm the applicable instructions and any new review requirements for the real proposal.
Keep the government gift distinct from business investment
The gift follows successful vetting and official instructions and goes to the U.S. government. It is not EB-5 enterprise capital or a recoverable investment promising returns. Ability to fund it does not remove classification, admissibility or visa-availability requirements.
Plan from actual completed stages
A consultation, budget allocation or proposed sponsorship is not approval. Identify current status and intended activities before relying on future residence. The employer’s handoff or staffing date does not establish when U.S. work or a family move is authorized.
Follow the official payment sequence and individual amounts
The September 7, 2026 official terms describe a nonrefundable US$15,000 processing fee per person, followed by vetting and a gift to the U.S. government after successful vetting and official instructions. The principal gift is US$1,000,000 individually or US$2,000,000 per corporate-sponsored employee. Each eligible joining spouse or unmarried child under 21 adds US$15,000 and a US$1,000,000 gift, including corporate cases. Corporate terms also describe 1% annual maintenance and a 5% transfer charge with a new background check, subject to actual governing conditions, not an automatic reuse right. EB-1 or EB-2 eligibility, admissibility and visa availability remain separate requirements.
Check the immigrant-category requirements still apply
The official FAQ describes using the gift contribution tied to a prior application for a replacement without another US$2 million gift, subject to the programme’s process. Under the published framework a successful applicant still proceeds through an existing immigrant category, and that category's requirements, admissibility and visa availability continue to apply. Verify instructions through official channels before directing money, and do not treat a private intermediary’s description as a government decision. Only after that stage does the gift arise, in the published amount of one million United States dollars where an individual is making it, or two million where a corporate sponsor makes it on someone’s behalf. Government notices can contain errors: if a notice conflicts with the instructions or with your record, investigate the conflict with counsel rather than acting on something you can see is wrong. Ask for the current official instruction before treating any amount, payment recipient or stage as settled. The program should be described precisely while identity records are updated: its payment is made by the applicant to the U.S. government under the official process, and it is not a conventional visa. Payment of the nonrefundable fee, and later the gift when instructed, does not purchase citizenship, waive a ground of inadmissibility, or create availability where none exists.
Source-of-funds review and background checks still apply
Vetting is a government background review; its outcome and its timing are not in the applicant’s control, and no adviser can shorten it or predict its result. Obtain the official instructions, the identity of each applicant or included relative, and a written breakdown that distinguishes government charges from private services. Under the official framework and Executive Order 14351, the qualifying gift is treated as evidence relevant to the specified EB-1 or EB-2 basis; the applicant must still be eligible for lawful permanent residence, admissible and have a visa available.
Sources reviewed 2026-09-07. This guide covers a preparation focus; it is not an individual eligibility assessment.