As recorded from the official FAQ on September 7, 2026, each included spouse or eligible unmarried child under 21 carries an additional US$15,000 processing fee and a US$1 million gift, so a spouse and two children add three sets. Reconfirm the terms on the official page before payment.
Doing the household arithmetic
List each person who would actually be included, then add the recorded processing fee and gift for each, and confirm the figures on the official page the day the decision is made. The official FAQ says a spouse or unmarried child under 21 who is intended to join through the Gold Card Program should be included in the initial application so that the family member receives the program's privileges, including expedited processing; a child who will be 21 before the process completes may not remain eligible as a child, and a payment does not preserve age. Each person's eligibility and admissibility is examined separately.
Compare that household figure with what other routes ask of families: EB-5 derivatives are included on the investor's petition without a separate gift, and nonimmigrant dependants in L-2 or E-2 status carry no gift at all, though those routes have their own requirements the consultant may not meet. Write the total next to the objective he stated at the outset, and ask whether the framework answers his question or a different one.