Under the published terms each joining spouse or unmarried child under 21 carries a separate US$15,000 processing fee and a separate US$1 million gift, in addition to the principal's. Two engineers applying together should budget accordingly.
Family members are priced individually
The official FAQ checked September 7, 2026 assigns to each eligible joining family member the same US$15,000 nonrefundable processing fee and a US$1 million gift, and directs that family members be included in the initial application to benefit from the program's processing arrangements. For a couple, one spouse is the principal and the other joins; the total is two fees and two gifts, and each child adds the same again. That structure is what makes the comparison with an employer-sponsored EB-2 meaningful, since an EB-2 petition covers the spouse and children as derivatives at ordinary immigrant-visa fees.
A child who will turn 21 before the case concludes needs the age rules reviewed under the category the family will use. Nothing in the published terms suggests a family discount, and the family should re-verify the per-person amounts on the official page before deciding.