Start with the GOLD CARD eligibility and application overview
Read the official corporate terms
The corporate principal gift is US$2 million after vetting when instructed, with a US$15,000 nonrefundable processing charge. Corporate terms include 1% annual maintenance and 5% transfer charges subject to their actual conditions. A change of employee is not an automatic right to reuse a pending case or bypass vetting. First identify who will make the payment, what official instruction authorizes it, and what corporate document authorizes any company-funded amount. Then separate those records from the applicant’s evidence for the applicable immigrant category. A payment discussion does not eliminate the need to show the underlying qualifications or to complete required screening. Record the exact source and destination of each amount. A company account, a reimbursement promise, and a gift payment are different facts. If the company imposes employment-service or repayment terms, disclose them as private commercial terms and obtain appropriate independent advice before treating them as immaterial.
Assess the person and family separately
Gold Card is the current government program, not a standalone conventional visa category; successful applicants receive an EB-1 or EB-2 classification under the official framework. After vetting and when instructed, the corporate gift is made to the U.S. government, with the published processing fee and the official additional gift and fee for each included spouse or unmarried child under 21. It is not an EB-5 investment or equity purchase, and private repayment terms do not alter the program. Re-verify every term on the official program page before any money moves. Model family costs and timing only after confirming each person’s relationship and eligibility under the current instructions. Keep official charges, the gift payment, and private reimbursement or retention terms separate. If a company proposes later substitution or transfer, read the official conditions rather than assuming its internal policy can alter government requirements. Keep a separate timetable for the company’s employment decision and the government process. A corporate deadline can be moved; an eligibility or screening requirement cannot be waived through a contract. Recheck the programme details immediately before payment because public instructions and fee arrangements may change.
Keep payer, recipient, and payment purpose accurate
The official FAQ identifies an eligible spouse and unmarried children under 21 and recommends initial inclusion of intended joining relatives. The described route uses EB-1 or EB-2 classifications as determined by the responsible agencies and remains subject to visa availability and admissibility. The program's terms, amounts and family provisions have been announced and revised through official channels, so a description that was accurate last quarter may be incomplete now. The applicant must still be eligible for lawful permanent residence and admissible, and the case still leads to an EB-1 or EB-2 determination subject to visa availability. Do not infer that an announced program bypasses inadmissibility or other federal screening questions. 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. The applicant is the payer and the U.S. government is the recipient; neither a business nor an intermediary receives the payment.
Sources reviewed 2026-09-07. This guide covers a preparation focus; it is not an individual eligibility assessment.