IN THIS GUIDE · Whether a payment produces work authorization, family status or travel
Start with the GOLD CARD eligibility and application overview
It is not described as a conventional visa category
The current official material describes a nonrefundable $15,000 DHS processing fee for an individual and, after successful vetting, a $1 million gift to the United States; a corporate sponsor pays the fee per employee and makes a $2 million gift per employee. DHS determines whether an approved applicant receives lawful permanent resident status through EB-1 or EB-2, subject to eligibility for permanent residence, admissibility and visa availability. The gift is treated as evidence relevant to the specified EB-1 or EB-2 eligibility basis, and it is not an EB-5 investment. The official page must be checked again before money moves. Save a dated copy of the official program material and check it again immediately before action. The amount, payment mechanism, application opening and screening process are operational facts that should not be assumed from an older summary.
The underlying immigrant category governs the substance
The program uses EB-1 or EB-2, but the gift is directed to be treated as evidence of the specified eligibility basis rather than being irrelevant to it. The official FAQ separately requires eligibility for lawful permanent residence, admissibility and visa availability, and the gift does not guarantee approval. For Hollis, the useful question is which classification DHS would use, how the gift would be treated, and what independent issues remain. That analysis must come from current official material and a licensed attorney, not from assuming the ordinary category analysis is unchanged. Separate the financial decision from the immigration decision. A person can have available funds yet still need to satisfy the applicable employment-based process, screening and documentary requirements described by the responsible agencies.
Family and work questions are answered by that category, and verified today
The current official FAQ says a spouse and unmarried children under twenty-one should be included in the initial application, and each family member requires an additional $15,000 DHS processing fee and $1 million gift. That is materially different from simply borrowing the derivative provisions of another route. The family terms, each person's eligibility and the payment instructions should be read from the official source at the time of the decision and verified again immediately before any money moves. A funds file should explain lawful accumulation and the exact route of the proposed payment. That record protects against fraud and makes it easier to distinguish an official instruction from a private request for money.
Verify before any money moves, and use official channels only
Program terms of this kind can change, and second-hand descriptions age quickly. Read the official program site directly, save a dated copy of what it says, and take that to a licensed attorney along with any material an intermediary has provided. Send money only to a recipient identified on the official source, and treat pressure to act quickly as a reason to verify rather than to hurry. A gift is not an investment: it should not be planned for as capital that returns, and its terms should be understood in writing before anything is transferred. Any business or family decision should wait for written confirmation of the relevant program steps. A payment does not make housing, work, admission or a relative's status automatic, and no promoter can convert uncertainty into a guarantee.
Sources reviewed 2026-09-07. This guide covers a preparation focus; it is not an individual eligibility assessment.