It should not be described as a recoverable commercial investment promising returns. The September 7, 2026 official processing fee is US$15,000 per person and nonrefundable; the principal gift is US$1,000,000 individually or US$2,000,000 corporately. Family and continuing corporate obligations are additional.
Compare actual obligations
Confirm current official fees and gift terms separately from EB-5 capital and project risk. Do not merge unlike financial categories. Hypothetical example: a Canadian owner of a specialty-lamp restoration business is comparing a Gold Card proposal, an EB-5 offering, and a private adviser’s ‘all-inclusive’ quote.
Separate every amount by legal character: official processing fee, any stated government gift, adviser fee, travel or document expense, commercial investment, and funds retained for personal use. Gold Card must not be presented as a conventional visa or as a recoverable business investment. The first cost review should verify current official terms, the exact applicant count, whether the proposal is individual or corporate, and each person’s required payment.
Do not combine EB-5 capital at risk, job-creation costs, and a Gold Card payment into one claimed immigration spend. A payment required for Gold Card is by the applicant to the U.S. government under official instructions; a wire to a promoter, employer, or private company does not establish that condition.
Keep receipts, official acknowledgements, dated instructions, and a ledger showing sender, recipient, amount, and purpose. The decision is whether the verified official financial obligation is affordable after independent professional and personal costs, not whether a salesperson’s package has a convenient total. A frequent error is relying on old amounts or assuming a corporate payer eliminates individual vetting.
Confirm terms immediately before payment and do not infer work authorization, classification, or visa availability from financial capacity.