IN THIS GUIDE · Name each principal and family member in the funding proposal
Start with the GOLD CARD eligibility and application overview
Identify the actual people and arrangement
Hypothetical example: one adult receives corporate sponsorship while the spouse considers a separate opportunity and another adult relative hopes to join. Distinguish the actual corporate or individual principal from eligible family members and any independent proposal. A household label does not establish eligibility for everyone.
Preserve individual government requirements
The government gift follows successful vetting and official instructions. EB-1 or EB-2 eligibility, admissibility and visa availability remain relevant. The principal’s funding or a company’s enthusiasm does not establish another person’s eligibility or permission to work.
Apply the official person-by-person terms
Each eligible joining spouse or unmarried child under 21 has separate official gift and processing requirements. Identify the intended people in the actual proposal and assess uncertain relationships or ages individually. Extended household membership is not an automatic basis for inclusion.
Separate corporate conditions from household preferences
Corporate maintenance and transfer-related terms are subject to official conditions, not an unrestricted ability to replace an employee with a relative. The government gift is not EB-5 commercial capital promising returns. Coordinate actual process stages without guaranteeing a common relocation or work-start date.
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.
Keep vetting and legal eligibility separate from payment
Gold Card is the current official program, not a standalone conventional visa category; successful applicants receive lawful permanent resident status through an applicable EB-1 or EB-2 classification, subject to eligibility, admissibility and visa availability. The framework operates through employment-based classifications that already exist in law, the first and second preference categories, with the fee and the gift attached to the process rather than replacing the classification. Gold Card uses existing EB-1 or EB-2 classifications rather than creating a separate statutory category; the gifts are not EB-5 capital or equity and guarantee neither approval, timing nor citizenship. Gold Card is a gift-based EB-1 or EB-2 residence framework, not EB-5 commercial equity or a guaranteed financial return. A first review should create separate ledgers for private hiring costs, the official programme payment, each family member, and any professional fee. The gift to the U.S. government is requested only after successful vetting and when instructed, so it belongs at a later point on the line, not to the decision being made today. The official Gold Card FAQ describes a gift to the United States after vetting, not a private investment sold with an expected return. The required payment is made by the applicant to the U.S. government under the current instructions; a private adviser or a sponsoring business is not a substitute payee.
Keep payer, recipient, and payment purpose accurate
Confirm the actual official stage and recipient before sending money; a forwarded message or private invoice should not be treated as proof that government vetting has succeeded. Use only verified government channels for each instructed step and retain confirmations, identifiers and source records. The decisive record for a Gold Card payment is the official instruction identifying the applicant and official payee, not a consultant invoice or an employer’s reimbursement promise. Keep official payment instructions, receipts, and the identity of the payer aligned with the selected route.
Sources reviewed 2026-09-07. This guide covers a preparation focus; it is not an individual eligibility assessment.