IN THIS GUIDE · Adoption records, legal parent–child relationship and per-person Gold Card figures for Bois-des-Filion families
Start with the GOLD CARD eligibility and application overview
The relationship, not the household, is what is examined
An adoption decree must establish a relationship that qualifies under US immigration law. Under INA 101(b)(1)(E), the usual adopted-child definition requires adoption before age 16, two years of legal custody and two years of joint residence; specified exceptions, including a qualifying sibling adoption before 18, require separate assessment. A valid foreign adoption alone does not settle derivative eligibility. For this GOLD-CARD review, identify the record that proves the governing condition before relying on a title or summary.
Decrees, registries and translations
An adoption file usually rests on the decree itself, the civil registration that followed it, and identity records for the child before and after the adoption. What the file must contain is set by the official instructions accompanying Form I-140G and the later visa stage, not by a template. Where names, dates or spellings differ between records, explain the difference with evidence rather than leaving the officer to guess. Compare the proposed arrangement with current corporate, employment, and financial records; a mismatch should be resolved before filing.
Each child is counted, and each child is assessed
Every joining spouse or unmarried child under 21 adds US$15,000 in processing and a US$1,000,000 qualifying gift — US$1,015,000 each. Paying for a child does not establish that child's eligibility, and eligibility is decided on relationship, age and marital status at the relevant time. A principal, a spouse and two eligible children reach US$4,060,000 across the family, all figures in US dollars. Record which fact is established, which remains conditional, and who can provide the missing evidence for the GOLD-CARD decision.
Ages move while a file is pending
A child of 18, 19 or 20 is still within the under-21 range, so 'adult' in ordinary speech is not the test. Age-related protections such as the Child Status Protection Act can apply to pending cases, and their effect is a legal assessment, not an assumption. A child already admitted as a lawful permanent resident is not automatically stripped of that status by a later birthday or marriage. Sequence commercial and immigration steps so an irreversible commitment is not made on an assumption about GOLD-CARD approval.
Follow the official payment sequence and individual amounts
Sequence private and public obligations carefully: review the sponsor contract, confirm the applicant’s independent immigration facts, complete verified payment instructions, and preserve the result for the filing. A sponsor’s promise to reimburse does not make its account the official payer or convert a private transfer into the required gift payment by the applicant.
Sources reviewed 2026-09-07. This guide covers a preparation focus; it is not an individual eligibility assessment.