IN THIS GUIDE · Compare a gift proposal with the household’s actual residence objectives
Define the people and decisions involved
Hypothetical example: a household is comparing a contribution proposal with other residence strategies before deciding who would apply. Record each intended applicant, payer, relationship and relevant age. Do not assume a shared budget means identical eligibility or official obligations. Use a person-by-person intake sheet for citizenship, relationship, age and intended inclusion. It exposes whether the proposed payer and applicant are being incorrectly treated as the same person.
Use the current official framework
Confirm the applicable individual or corporate terms and family treatment using the official FAQ and instructions. Identify discrepancies from summaries and avoid relying on old amounts or process descriptions. The actual official obligations should drive the comparison. Date every official page and compare it with any intermediary summary. A process description that once was accurate may not reflect the operative instructions.
Keep gifts and investments distinct
Gold Card should not be presented as an EB-5 commercial investment or an asset promising repayment. EB-5 has its own qualifying capital and job requirements. Compare the financial nature of each option without treating payment capacity as a complete immigration assessment. Keep the irreversible official payment separate from an investment whose return, value and commercial risk are being evaluated. Those are different financial decisions.
Assess the remaining outcome questions
Review classification, admissibility, vetting and visa availability alongside the household’s intended activities. A proposal is not approval and does not authorize present U.S. work or residence. Make practical commitments from confirmed stages rather than a preferred future outcome. Work backward from the family’s practical deadline and list the outstanding eligibility, vetting and availability stages. No advertised timeline removes a required stage.
Follow the official payment sequence and individual amounts
The September 7, 2026 official terms describe a nonrefundable US$15,000 processing fee per person, followed by vetting and a gift to the U.S. government after successful vetting and official instructions. The principal gift is US$1,000,000 individually or US$2,000,000 corporately. Each eligible joining spouse or unmarried child under 21 adds US$15,000 and a US$1,000,000 gift, including corporate cases. Corporate terms also describe 1% annual maintenance and a 5% transfer charge with a new background check, subject to actual governing conditions, not an automatic reuse right. EB-1 or EB-2 eligibility, admissibility and visa availability remain separate requirements. The decision record should identify exactly who pays, under which official option and at what verified stage; an informal promise of residence is not a substitute.
Sources reviewed 2026-09-07. This guide covers a preparation focus; it is not an individual eligibility assessment.