IN THIS GUIDE · Identify additional official charges without treating the headline amount as the entire budget
Start with the GOLD CARD eligibility and application overview
Start with the published principal sequence
Current nonrefundable processing is US$15,000 per person. Successful vetting and official instructions precede the principal gift: US$1 million individually or US$2 million for a corporate-sponsored employee. The gift is not EB-5 capital or a return promise.
Identify actual additional instructions
The official FAQ states that additional State Department fees may apply, with instructions for visa-related fees and the required medical examination. Do not invent a universal additional total. Distinguish actual official requests from an adviser’s own charges.
Keep family and eligibility in the budget
Intended eligible joining family should be included initially. Each eligible spouse or unmarried child under 21 adds US$1 million and US$15,000. EB-1 or EB-2 eligibility, admissibility and visa availability remain applicable; the ability to pay is not the complete case.
Preserve corporate obligations
Corporate sponsors may apply for employees. Current terms include 1% annual maintenance and a 5% transfer fee with a new background check. Using a prior gift for a new employee does not guarantee replacement approval or eliminate the applicable process.
Follow the official payment sequence and individual amounts
The official FAQ recommends including the spouse and eligible unmarried children under 21 who intend to join as part of the initial application. Each adds a nonrefundable US$15,000 processing fee and a US$1,000,000 gift, including under corporate sponsorship. This recommendation does not establish that a later addition is automatically available, free or prohibited; follow the actual instructions for a changed household.
Verify the payee and instruction stage before transferring funds
The official framework describes the Gold Card as a gift to the U.S. government together with a processing fee, tied to eligibility under existing immigrant categories as set out in the executive order and the program materials. 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. DHS determines whether an approved applicant receives lawful permanent resident status through EB-1 or EB-2, subject to eligibility for permanent residence, admissibility and visa availability. Verify instructions through official channels before directing money, and do not treat a private intermediary’s description as a government decision. A first review should make a dated comparison table: the official instruction, the applicant named in it, the payee, each amount, and the eligibility stage that comes before payment. Any payment described by the official framework is made by the applicant and directed to the U.S. government; it is not a conventional visa classification or a business investment. A private reimbursement agreement may allocate cost, yet it cannot alter government vetting or replace identity, civil-status, or admissibility evidence. A sponsor, employer or bank can assist with logistics only after the payment source, applicant responsibility and official instructions are clear.
Identify the current official instructions
Follow verified official instructions rather than sending a gross estimated sale value. 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. The result still depends on EB-1 or EB-2 eligibility as appropriately determined, admissibility and visa availability; purchasing assistance is not purchasing an approval. A separate private investment or service contract must be identified as separate; its promotional language does not change the government payment’s purpose. The opening assessment should identify the exact official program page, the current application mechanism, the payment recipient, and the immigration category being considered. Where a message quotes no reference number, or quotes one that does not match the others, treat it as unverified until the official channel confirms it — those fields are what separate an authentic notice from an imitation.
Sources reviewed 2026-09-07. This guide covers a preparation focus; it is not an individual eligibility assessment.