The current official program page lists a nonrefundable $15,000 DHS processing fee for an individual and, after successful vetting, a $1 million gift; a corporate sponsor currently pays $15,000 and $2 million per employee. Verify the amounts, timing and payment terms again on the official site immediately before money moves.
Never take a figure second-hand
The discipline that prevents most difficulty here is simple: no number about this program is accepted from anyone other than the official source, and every number is checked again immediately before money moves. Ask counsel to record in writing what would be paid, to whom, at which stage, and what happens to each amount if the application does not succeed. Treat the contribution as a gift rather than an investment, and confirm any refund terms directly from the current official instructions.
Where an intermediary offers to handle the payment or introduces an account that does not appear on the official source, stop and verify before anything is transferred. No legitimate process depends on a payment route that cannot be verified independently. Hypothetical example: Felix is evaluating the Gold Card after disposing of a commercial laundry-chemicals business.
A cost review should distinguish the applicant's required payment to the U.S. government from governmental processing charges, professional help, translations and travel. The official payment channel and written receipt are the records that should settle where funds go.
Confirm the currently applicable amount and procedure before selling assets or wiring money. The central mistake is calling the payment an investment or assuming it will be returned; it is a contribution tied to the program, while eligibility remains subject to the official process and screening.