Start with the GOLD CARD eligibility and application overview
Identify the intended principal before committing
Use the proposed employee’s actual identity and family plan. A corporate budget does not make every employee an interchangeable approved beneficiary. If the intended person changes, obtain current official instructions about the relevant stage rather than assuming that transfer terms automatically resolve a pending application.
Apply the published personal and corporate terms
Current official terms are US$15,000 nonrefundable processing per person, followed after successful vetting and instructions by a US$1 million individual-principal gift or US$2 million per corporate-sponsored employee. Each intended eligible joining spouse or unmarried child under 21 adds US$15,000 and a US$1 million gift, including corporately; initial inclusion is recommended. Corporate terms include 1% annual maintenance and 5% transfer with a new background check; a replacement employee is not automatically approved. The EB-1 or EB-2 result remains subject to eligibility, admissibility and visa availability.
Separate the immigration result from company scheduling
Neither a processing payment nor a corporate gift is current work permission. Review the employee’s applicable EB-1 or EB-2 eligibility and actual immigration milestones before setting an unconditional U.S. work date. Company plans should distinguish government instructions from internal purchase-order approval.
Re-verify the official terms immediately before any money moves
Any approach that describes the programme in terms borrowed from other categories — an investment, a job-creation requirement, a return on capital — is describing something the official framework does not say. Because the programme runs through existing employment-based classifications rather than a new one, the ordinary requirements of the classification used still apply, as do the ordinary grounds of inadmissibility. If a private quote, current public terms and an official communication appear inconsistent, identify the exact issue and seek clarification through the appropriate channel. The program does not waive inadmissibility, so a prior refusal, a criminal matter, a misrepresentation finding, or an immigration violation remains what it was before any fee was paid. Put each proposed payment in a ledger identifying the payer, recipient, amount, purpose, refund rule and instruction authorizing it. Under the published framework, payment is made by the individual applicant directly to the U.S. government after the stated vetting sequence; a business, relative or adviser cannot become the applicant merely by supplying funds. Because the program is recent, its official terms and procedures should be re-verified on the government source immediately before any money moves, and a licensed United States immigration attorney should confirm the position for the specific household. Keep private reimbursement, employment and tax questions in separate records because they do not alter the official recipient or create a conventional visa.
Follow official payment and family terms
The official process calls for the application and fee, further USCIS instructions and supporting documents, vetting and the subsequent gift when instructed. 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 official site describes additional visa-related fees and required medical-examination payment instructions from the State Department. The official FAQ says that, as appropriately determined by the agencies and subject to availability, a successful applicant receives lawful permanent resident status as an EB-1 or EB-2 visa holder. Because official details, availability, eligibility, and processing instructions may change, applicants should keep an official dated copy and avoid treating promotional summaries as controlling. A satisfied bank does not decide eligibility, admissibility or visa availability, and a delay can affect your ability to satisfy an instructed payment deadline even though the bank does not adjudicate immigration. Before relying on a replacement arrangement, establish who the sponsor is, which application the proposal concerns and what official instructions apply. The official program materials should be saved with their date and version, along with the applicant’s payment confirmations and the instructions received after screening.
Sources reviewed 2026-09-08. This guide covers a preparation focus; it is not an individual eligibility assessment.