Identify the legal sponsor behind the benefit
Hypothetical example: an employment offer promises sponsorship under a group brand, while the paying entity and authorized applicant remain undecided. Record the legal company, authority and intended arrangement. Do not assume the brand name establishes a completed government step. Identify the legal entity that authorizes the benefit and the individual who will apply. Retain resolutions, signatory authority, and the employment terms that explain any payment. A brand name, informal email, or recruiting presentation can be useful background, but none proves an official submission or an applicant’s category eligibility.
Use current official terms
Check the applicable instructions and charges rather than combining individual and corporate descriptions. The government gift follows successful vetting in the official account and is not an EB-5 investment or a promise of return. Payment does not create automatic residence or citizenship. Keep official program material separate from internal budgeting documents. The first review should list each required record, its date, its source, and the person responsible for obtaining it. A private reimbursement agreement may allocate cost, yet it cannot alter government vetting or replace identity, civil-status, or admissibility evidence.
Separate employment benefits from immigration outcomes
Review who pays and any private conditions independently of the applicant’s eligibility and official process. Included family members have their own requirements and costs. A company’s willingness to fund a case does not guarantee approval, visa availability or a personal completion date. Plan family and work decisions only after distinguishing each person’s process and status. Record deadlines from official notices, not a company’s fiscal calendar. A paid program step does not authorize immediate employment, and no household member should rely on a proposed benefit before the relevant immigration decision is actually made.
Use the current individual, corporate and family amounts
The official FAQ checked September 7, 2026 states a nonrefundable US$15,000 DHS processing fee per person. After successful vetting, the principal gift is US$1 million for an individual or US$2 million per corporate-sponsored employee. Each eligible joining spouse or unmarried child under 21 adds US$15,000 and a US$1 million gift, including in corporate cases. Corporate terms describe 1% annual maintenance and a 5% transfer fee including a new DHS background check. Reuse of a prior corporate principal gift under the official process is not automatic approval of a replacement employee. Additional State Department and medical costs may apply; verify current instructions for the actual proposal.
Sources reviewed 2026-09-07. This guide covers a preparation focus; it is not an individual eligibility assessment.