The current official page says the expedited process should take weeks after the application and processing fee are received, provided requested documents and fees are submitted promptly; a visa interview, admissibility and visa availability still apply. The $1 million gift is requested after successful vetting. Re-verify the live instructions before payment.
Verify, then pay, then file — and expect ordinary petition timelines afterward
The official sequence begins with the online application and nonrefundable processing fee. USCIS then provides portal instructions for Form I-140G and supporting documents and conducts vetting; after successful vetting, the government sends instructions for the gift. The official page says processing should take weeks when the applicant responds promptly, but a visa interview is required, the applicant must be admissible and a visa must be available; the page notes that availability can cause longer waits for some countries. Mrs. Halvorsen should re-check the official page immediately before each payment and follow only government instructions. Any tax consequences of selling her business or making the gift remain a separate question for a qualified tax adviser.
Hypothetical example: A diagnostic-laboratory entrepreneur wants to act before a planned business sale closes. The first review sets a sequence: verify official terms, assess the EB-1 or EB-2 basis, document the lawful source of payment, and only then consider timing a payment. Terms, fees and procedures may change, so a prior announcement is not a filing calendar. The applicant must decide whether to wait for sale proceeds that can be documented cleanly or use existing funds with a clearer trail. Paying first and trying to prove qualification later is the wrong order.