The official FAQ instructs applicants to include the intended eligible spouse and unmarried children under 21 in the initial application. Plan that household scope before filing rather than assuming later inclusion is procedurally neutral. Current terms add a US$1 million gift and US$15,000 processing fee for each eligible joining family member.
Record the actual intended household
Ask how the timing of family inclusion affects the process and each person’s eligibility. An unmarried partner is not automatically a qualifying spouse merely because you live together. A principal’s payment does not by itself grant status to anyone else.
Cross-chargeability exists in immigrant visa practice, but it is claimed on the record for a legally married spouse who is actually accompanying or following to join, and it is assessed by the deciding officer. Initial inclusion is officially recommended for program benefits, but it does not guarantee a joint appointment or identical outcome. Read the relocation agreement line by line to identify whom the employer promises to fund, which private moving costs it covers, and whether it addresses official per-person obligations. After successful vetting, officials request a US$1 million gift payable to the United States for an individual or eligible relative.