Identify the official US$15,000 per-person charge separately from gifts and private fees.
Avoid assuming all amounts share the same terms
The gift requested after successful vetting is US$1 million individually or US$2 million for a corporate principal, plus family amounts where applicable. Private refund terms govern their actual agreement and should not be described as a government promise to return processing charges or gifts.
Separate processing, the later gift, possible visa or medical items, and private charges. First comes the online application and its nonrefundable DHS processing charge of US$15,000. Once payment settles, USCIS prompts Form I-140G. The form is titled “Immigrant Petition for the Gold Card Program.” Only after vetting succeeds may officials seek the required gift, valued at US$1 million for an individual applicant or included family member or US$2 million per corporate-sponsored employee, for the United States; submission does not. Gold Card uses EB-1 or EB-2 classification. Its gift must never be conflated with an EB-5 investment. Record each recipient and the source of every refund term. The frequent mistake is assuming every line marked nonrefundable has the same legal source. Re-verify the official portal guidance before funds leave the payer’s control.
Hypothetical example: A Saint-Ambroise software founder receives a single “nonrefundable Gold Card” invoice covering four different items. She asks for separate lines, confirms that only the DHS processing amount belongs at the opening stage, and leaves the prospective gift unsent pending vetting. Her accountant also separates private representation costs from official obligations. The invoice is revised without implying that adviser payment advances EB-1 or EB-2 adjudication.