IN THIS GUIDE · Confirm the current official terms rather than a figure repeated locally
Start with the GOLD CARD eligibility and application overview
Verify the headline figures directly
Hypothetical example: a Selkirk resident hears a price that omits the processing charge or uses a corporate figure for an individual case. Current official terms describe a nonrefundable US$15,000 processing fee per person and, after successful vetting and official instructions, a US$1 million individual gift or US$2 million gift per corporate-sponsored employee. Compare the actual proposal with the official FAQ before committing funds.
Confirm household costs from the official source, not a paraphrase
For each eligible joining spouse or unmarried child under 21, the official terms add a US$15,000 processing fee and US$1 million gift, including corporate cases. List the actual people and their eligibility; the principal’s gift is not one flat household payment. Verify current instructions rather than assuming a remembered total covers everyone. The official FAQ recommends including eligible joining family members in the initial application.
Treat the vetting and eligibility steps as unavoidable
The applicant must meet the applicable EB-1 or EB-2 requirements, admissibility and visa availability, alongside vetting. A gift under this process is not an EB-5 investment, a business ownership interest or a promised financial return. Payment does not itself authorize U.S. work or establish residence.
Get independent advice before treating any secondhand figure as final
Compare any employer proposal with the official corporate obligations: US$2 million per sponsored employee, 1% annual maintenance and a 5% transfer charge with a new background check. A replacement employee is not automatically approved. Keep the employer’s payment promise separate from the government’s decision and review the applicant’s actual circumstances before relying on either.
Follow the official payment sequence and individual amounts
The described EB-1 or EB-2 framework remains subject to agency determination and visa availability. The official framework describes a processing fee, a vetting stage and a gift, followed by processing in an existing employment-based immigrant category. The published outcome depends on EB-1 or EB-2 eligibility, admissibility and visa availability as appropriately determined. Does any official page identify a reservation mechanism or a private-party payment? The official Gold Card outcome is EB-1 or EB-2 permanent residence as appropriately determined, not an EB-5 project approval purchased under another name; documents, payments and milestones should follow the real route. The practical sequence is record collection, legal assessment, confirmation of the current program instruction, then any payment that follows successful vetting. Set the amounts out as a schedule with dates and payees, distinguishing the nonrefundable processing fee from the later payment made when instructed after vetting.
Assess immigration and any private transaction separately
Vetting is where personal history matters: identity, background, prior immigration history and the lawful origin of the funds used for the gift are the kinds of facts an applicant should expect to document. A board or committee resolution authorises the expenditure, a signed sponsorship agreement sets out what the company undertakes and for whom, and a payment instruction with its bank confirmation records what actually moved and when. The relevant record is the official notice directing the payment, not an adviser’s summary or a company reimbursement promise. Do not assume that naming a preferred program in a private agreement changes the official recipient or satisfies the immigration process. Follow verified official instructions, and assess tax and financial consequences separately rather than importing proposed programme benefits or an investment repayment assumption. Keep payment evidence, official instructions, and case correspondence together with the applicant's identity records. A sponsor’s invoice or reimbursement memorandum is not proof that the required government transaction occurred on the correct terms. If any term is uncertain, the company should obtain clarification from the official channel before classifying, authorizing or transmitting funds.
Sources reviewed 2026-09-07. This guide covers a preparation focus; it is not an individual eligibility assessment.