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LAKE COUNTRY · GOLD CARD FIELD GUIDE

Can a retired Lake Country couple qualify for the Gold Card simply by making the gift?

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THE DIRECT ANSWER

Not by sending money without the official process. The applicant first submits the application and non-refundable DHS processing fee, completes vetting and, after successful vetting, is instructed to make a gift that is treated as evidence of specified EB-1A and EB-2 criteria. Lawful-permanent-residence eligibility, admissibility and visa availability still apply.

The gift is evidence within the official framework

The official framework uses existing EB-1A and EB-2 classifications, but Executive Order 14351 directs the government to treat the required gift as evidence of extraordinary-ability eligibility and of exceptional business ability, national benefit and a national-interest waiver. It therefore is wrong to require each applicant to prove the ordinary career record for one of those categories independently of the gift. Hypothetical example: a retired Lake Country couple should decide which spouse will be the principal, include the other spouse in the initial family application if desired, pay the processing fees only through the official site and wait for post-vetting gift instructions.

The principal still must be eligible for lawful permanent residence, be admissible and have a visa available, and every applicant undergoes vetting. Because the framework and its published terms may change, they should re-read the official page immediately before each payment.