The joining spouse adds US$15,000 in processing fees and a US$1 million gift beyond the employee’s US$15,000 and US$2 million. The marriage and the spouse’s individual admissibility and eligibility need review, while derivative eligibility also depends on the principal. Follow the family interview instructions; do not assume one employee’s clearance decides the spouse’s case.
Who pays the family portion, and when the household is added
Document whether the employer or the employee funds the spouse’s US$1,015,000, taking account of any existing contractual obligation. Including the spouse from the outset is the officially recommended route for programme benefits. Leaving her out is a real option, but a later addition is a fresh filing with its own fee, gift, vetting and visa availability.
The current family terms concern an eligible spouse and unmarried children under 21 identified initially. The official page describes additional processing fees and additional gifts for each accompanying spouse and unmarried child under 21 included in the application. Under the Gold Card as published, the household's outlay is the gift and processing fee for each person included, and none of it comes back; it is a gift to the U.S. government, not a purchase and not an investment.