Obtain an individualized assessment and understand the current payment terms before committing. The official processing fee is described as nonrefundable, so an unresolved concern should not be ignored merely to begin quickly. As of September 7, 2026, the official processing charge is US$15,000; the principal gift is US$1 million individually or US$2 million corporately. Other family and corporate charges are separate.
Know which decision the payment represents
Ask what step is being undertaken and what remains subject to government review. Distinguish professional advice charges from government amounts. A receipt is not an assurance that the concern has been resolved.
Resolve the known concern before making a payment that official instructions call nonrefundable. Separate eligibility review, record recovery, professional services, processing payment, later gift, and other official amounts. Pay DHS’s nonrefundable US$15,000 processing fee with the online application. Settlement triggers a USCIS prompt for the form called “Immigrant Petition for the Gold Card Program,” numbered I-140G; vetting comes next. Following successful vetting—and never beforehand—the requested gift to the United States is US$1 million. Applicable classifications are EB-1 and EB-2; EB-5 plays no role. Do not mistake the receipt for approval or the gift for an investment. Before sending funds, verify current official directions again.
Hypothetical example: A London property manager knows that an earlier visitor application contained inconsistent employment dates. The manager pays only for an initial record and eligibility review, obtains the prior submission, and prepares a corrected chronology before deciding whether to start the official process. A cash-flow sheet reserves, but does not transmit, the potential gift. If individualized advice supports proceeding, every payment follows the portal’s then-current direction; no private request or advertised shortcut changes the required order.