IN THIS GUIDE · Separate a paid relocation package from a Gold Card immigration decision
Start with the GOLD CARD eligibility and application overview
List the promised deliverables
Identify application preparation, translation, property searches and other private services separately. Require the actual written scope rather than assuming that “relocation included” means immigration approval, admission or employment permission. A property reservation and a completed application are different milestones. Hypothetical example: An optical-instrument repair partnership buys a package that includes apartment searches and application preparation. The decision is whether to pay the private service charge now while keeping the government gift and any move commitment dependent on an official instruction.
Preserve control of the official record
Keep the submitted material, official requests and payment confirmations accessible to the applicant. Know who will monitor communications and respond when additional information is required. Private progress dashboards can assist coordination but should be checked against the actual official stage. Ask the provider to identify the document, recipient, due date, and refund terms for every promised service. That comparison shows which obligation belongs to the private contract and which step can occur only through the government process.
Price the government commitment separately
The individual route currently requires US$15,000 nonrefundable processing and a US$1 million gift after successful vetting and official instructions. Each intended eligible joining spouse or unmarried child under 21 adds US$15,000 and US$1 million and should be included initially. Private housing or school services are not part of those gifts; additional State Department and medical charges may apply. Keep copies of the application, receipts, official correspondence, and any instruction to make a payment in an applicant-controlled record. A consultant’s screenshot or progress description can prompt a question, but it should not replace the underlying official communication.
Make the move depend on the right event
The published outcome is lawful permanent residence through EB-1 or EB-2 as appropriately determined, subject to eligibility, admissibility and visa availability. A provider completing its work does not establish the government’s decision. Link irreversible household commitments to verified case information rather than a sales milestone. Before arranging private relocation services, decide which household members are actually included and which charges are private rather than governmental. The payment schedule should be reconciled against official instructions, not against a vendor’s bundled price. The practical decision is when to make a nonrefundable household commitment. Link that date to the official stage that supports it, while recognizing that a private provider cannot determine the eventual immigration outcome.
Sequence the vetting, the instructions and the payment
Where vetting is successful, the applicant then makes a gift of one million United States dollars to the U.S. government, or two million where a corporate sponsor is making the gift in respect of an employee. Archive the official page, date, and payment instructions before acting, then check again immediately before transfer.
Follow the official payment sequence and individual amounts
The gift is paid to the U.S. government and the processing fee to the program; neither is an investment that can be withdrawn, and the official page governs refunds, if any. The first decision is whether the person meets the applicable immigrant eligibility framework and can follow the official payment process, not whether an asset appears valuable on paper. Keep proof of the payment, identity, and instruction source together. Confirm the current terms on the official programme materials on the day, since a framework this new can change between one conversation and the next.
Sources reviewed 2026-09-07. This guide covers a preparation focus; it is not an individual eligibility assessment.