IN THIS GUIDE · Distinguish permanent residence through Gold Card from U.S. citizenship
Start with the GOLD CARD eligibility and application overview
Name the immigration outcome accurately
Use permanent residence for the published outcome rather than citizenship or a U.S. passport. Eligibility, admissibility and visa availability remain necessary. A promotional shorthand should not replace the classification and status shown in the actual government documents. Keep the program description separate from naturalization planning. The first record to check is the current official instruction, because a private description or sales presentation cannot establish immigration status.
Keep payments connected to the published process
Current individual terms begin with US$15,000 nonrefundable processing and a US$1 million gift after successful vetting and official instructions. The corporate principal gift is US$2 million with US$15,000 processing per employee. These are not published prices for immediate citizenship, and paying does not guarantee the immigration result. Do not send money based on an intermediary’s summary of the sequence. Confirm the applicant, amount, timing and payee from the official instructions after successful vetting. As the programme is published, a processing fee of fifteen thousand United States dollars is paid per person and is not refundable. The gift follows successful vetting, so nobody should be asked to transfer the larger sum before that stage, and any request to do so is a reason to stop and check. A private adviser can organize records, but cannot substitute a category decision with a fee schedule.
Separate family inclusion and later questions
The intended eligible spouse and unmarried children under 21 should be included initially; each adds US$15,000 and a US$1 million gift, including under corporate sponsorship. Corporate terms also specify 1% annual maintenance and 5% transfer including a new background check. Family inclusion does not itself decide any separate citizenship question. Decide family participation before submitting the initial materials, then compare each person’s relationship and age facts with the applicable instructions. A later household change may need separate advice rather than an informal addition.
Use the actual documents for the actual trip
Follow the applicable immigrant visa, admission or adjustment instructions rather than expecting a U.S. passport on payment. Any later citizenship eligibility has its own requirements and assessment. This page does not calculate naturalization eligibility or promise a citizenship date for the principal or family. Preserve official notices, payment records and status documents in one timeline. A completed payment answers only the payment question; it does not remove the remaining immigration requirements.
Sequence the vetting, the instructions and the payment
The gift, made when instructed after successful vetting, serves as evidence of the specified benefit the program relies on. An intermediary who supplies banking details by message, asks for urgency, or offers to hold funds in an account of their own is describing an arrangement that the official process does not require. Verify the official recipient and instructions at the time of action. If the instruction, identity details, and case record do not match, pause the transaction and obtain clarification through the official process; changing a payment reference after sending funds may not cure an incorrect payment.
Sources reviewed 2026-09-07. This guide covers a preparation focus; it is not an individual eligibility assessment.