IN THIS GUIDE · Understand what a retired business owner is paying for, what is not returned and what still has to be proved afterwards
Start with the GOLD CARD eligibility and application overview
Take the terms from the page, dated
The framework as published describes three steps for an individual: the processing fee, which is not refunded under any outcome; vetting, whose criteria the applicant should read on the official page rather than assume; and the gift, requested after successful vetting. Corporate sponsorship at US$2 million per employee with annual maintenance and transfer charges does not apply to a retiree with no employer. Print the page and the FAQ with the date on the day of each decision, because published terms can change between the fee and the gift stage.
Ask which immigrant category the case will use
The official material says successful applicants proceed under EB-1 or EB-2. Those are employment-based categories with their own eligibility standards, and a retired owner should ask, before paying the fee, which category her profile fits and what evidence that category requires. The gift does not itself create an occupation, a job offer or a record of achievement; it changes the process, not the applicant's history. Visa availability under the chosen category also applies, and for Canadian chargeability should be checked on the visa bulletin at the time.
Keep the money in its own category
The gift goes to the government and is not returned. It is not an EB-5 investment, creates no jobs, carries no economic return and is not a fee for a service. Sale proceeds from the trucking company should be documented in any case, since vetting may examine the applicant's finances, but the gift should never be described as capital. The processing fee is separate from the gift and from any professional fees, and neither government payment should pass through an intermediary.
Sequence the family and the sale of the house
Each joining family member carries a separate fee and gift under the published terms, and a child near 21 needs the age rules reviewed under the category used. Do not sell property, end a lease or move before the gift instruction and the immigrant process have run; paying money is not residence, and residence arrives only when the EB-1 or EB-2 case is granted.
Sources reviewed 2026-09-07. This guide covers a preparation focus; it is not an individual eligibility assessment.