IN THIS GUIDE · Timing a Gold Card gift when the money is still tied up in an unsettled securities sale — Sainte-Anne-des-Plaines
Start with the GOLD CARD eligibility and application overview
Paper value is not cleared money
A portfolio statement showing a market value is a statement about prices, not about money you can send. Between an agreed sale and settled cash sit execution, settlement, any custodian holds, and the transfer itself. In this scenario the honest description of the position is a sale in progress, and the planning question is what will be cleared and available on the day the gift instruction arrives. Company profits are also not personal liquidity. Hypothetical example: a documentary sound editor expects proceeds from a licensing sale, but the buyer may dispute delivery before release of escrow. The decision is whether to plan around cleared personal funds rather than an anticipated contractual payment.
Broker records that show the money's path
Keep the trade confirmation, the settlement statement, account statements spanning the period, and the outgoing transfer record, so the path from holding to sale proceeds to gift can be followed document by document. A qualifying gift serves as evidence of the specified benefit and eligibility, so its provenance matters. If any of these records are in French, plan for a full certified English translation for USCIS filings. Keep documents that distinguish the applicant’s assets from company property, borrowed money, or a spouse’s separate interest. The review should be able to follow the value without treating an unrealized holding as if it were already cash.
Whose money is it, actually?
A joint account title tells you less than the governing account agreement and the applicable law. If a spouse holds real rights in the securities, the arrangement between the two of you should be documented rather than assumed. Note that a spouse who joins the application adds their own US$15,000 fee and a US$1,000,000 gift; that is a program cost, not a question about who owned the shares. Decide early whether the spouse will seek the related benefit, because the program amounts and documentation are individual. A joint statement may explain access to funds, but it does not answer every question about legal entitlement to them.
Charges, conversion and the instruction to give
Brokerage commissions, settlement charges and currency conversion reduce what actually arrives, so budget from net proceeds rather than headline value. Program amounts are stated in US dollars. The gift is made when you are instructed to make it, after successful vetting — not on a date you pick — so plan liquidity around actual lead times and payment deadlines rather than selling solely to create an appearance of readiness. Category review can sensibly begin well before that point. The payment is a prerequisite described by this framework, not a purchase of a guaranteed result. Confirm the current official instructions before moving funds, and avoid characterizing the Gold Card as an ordinary temporary visa.
Maintenance and transfer charges sit with the company
The corporate FAQ describes a 1% annual maintenance fee and a 5% transfer fee including a new DHS background check.
Sources reviewed 2026-09-07. This guide covers a preparation focus; it is not an individual eligibility assessment.