Current official guidance recommends initial inclusion of intended eligible joining family members.
Record the household plan before assuming later additions
Identify the actual spouse and unmarried children under 21 and flag unresolved plans. Do not promise a later process or date without current instructions. The principal’s application does not automatically establish every family member’s eligibility or permission.
The framework described in the official material has an order: a nonrefundable processing fee, vetting, and then a gift to the U.S. government after successful vetting, with successful applicants proceeding through EB-1 or EB-2 subject to category eligibility, admissibility and visa availability. The official program description sets out a sequence: submit an application and processing fee, undergo vetting, make the gift, and if found eligible receive permanent residence through an employment-based category. A retired business owner should ask whether any past immigration history, criminal record or health matter could affect admissibility, and whether the classification used by the program would be current for a Canadian national. The Gold Card uses EB-1 or EB-2, but Executive Order 14351 directs the agencies to treat the qualifying gift as evidence of relevant eligibility; the applicant must still be eligible for lawful permanent residence, be admissible and have a visa available.