Do not assume an unrelated prior fee creates a credit against the published Gold Card charge.
Budget the actual new payment obligations
Each person owes a nonrefundable US$15,000 processing charge; once vetting succeeds, the official instructions call for the principal gift of US$1 million for an individual or US$2 million for a corporate principal. Use actual official payment instructions rather than infer a credit from earlier travel expenses.
Budget Gold Card steps as new obligations. The online application begins with the nonrefundable DHS processing charge of US$15,000; money paid for a visitor visa served elsewhere and creates no stated credit. After the processing-fee payment settles, USCIS prompts Form I-140G. Only after successful vetting, under verified directions, is the US$1 million individual gift requested. Keep professional, document, and family costs on separate ledger lines so nothing is offset or counted twice. The gift is not an EB-5 investment, buys no project equity, and should not be assessed as creating ten jobs. Because the program uses EB-1 or EB-2 classification, eligibility and visa availability remain distinct from payment.
Hypothetical example: An actuary in Rivière-Éternité retains a receipt from an earlier visitor-visa application and initially subtracts it from a Gold Card budget. After reviewing the official sequence, she removes that assumed credit, allocates the DHS processing charge to the online stage, and reserves the gift without transmitting it. Her adviser separately assesses the possible EB classification and admissibility record. Immediately before each transaction, she verifies the government portal, payee, and current instructions. The prior receipt stays in her travel-history file rather than becoming a coupon against the new program.