IN THIS GUIDE · Understanding what a corporate Gold Card transfer does and does not move
Start with the GOLD CARD eligibility and application overview
What the corporate figures are
On the corporate side the published figures are a nonrefundable US$15,000 processing fee and a US$2 million gift for each employee put forward. Family is counted separately: each joining spouse and unmarried child under 21 must be considered in the initial application and adds a further US$15,000 and US$1 million, corporate cases included. An employer budgeting one figure per hire will understate the cost of a married employee with children. Set the arithmetic out per person rather than per hire, since family members are counted separately and an employer budgeting one figure will understate the cost of a married candidate with children. Each joining spouse and each unmarried child under twenty-one must be considered in the initial application and carries its own nonrefundable processing fee and further gift amount, in corporate cases as much as individual ones.
Understand the conditions for reusing the corporate gift
The program describes using the prior corporate gift as a basis for sponsoring a different employee without another US$2 million gift, with a stated 5% transfer fee and new vetting. Executive Order 14351 also describes a process involving the prior holder’s abandonment of status. Have counsel explain the current implementation and consequences for both people. An employer cannot treat someone’s permanent residence as property it can unilaterally reassign. Ask counsel to explain the current implementation in writing and to say what it means for both people involved. The described transfer concerns the corporate arrangement rather than an individual's status, and the published material contemplates the prior holder's abandonment of status. An employer cannot treat a person's permanent residence as property it may reassign, and briefing recruiters on that distinction prevents an offer letter promising what the company cannot deliver.
The replacement employee still needs an individual assessment
Reusing a qualifying corporate contribution does not reuse the former employee’s personal eligibility. The new candidate remains subject to the applicable application requirements, screening, admissibility and visa availability. Obtain current official instructions for the transfer, including how the fee and previously accepted gift are credited; do not assume a new US$2 million gift is routinely due. Plan employment and any family applications around the new person’s actual immigration determination. Treat the replacement candidate as an entirely new assessment. Reusing a qualifying corporate contribution does not reuse the former employee's personal eligibility, and the new candidate remains subject to the applicable application requirements, screening, admissibility, and visa availability. Obtain current official instructions for the transfer, including how the fee and any previously accepted gift are credited, rather than assuming what is due.
Get the current terms reviewed before relying on them
Corporate terms are the part of this program an employer will live with for years, so have counsel read the current published version rather than a summary circulated internally. Ask what the maintenance charge applies to, what triggers the transfer fee, what happens if an employee resigns, and what the company must keep on file. Record the answers with the date they were checked, and revisit them before each new sponsorship decision. Hypothetical example: a finance team approves a sponsorship as a one-off cost and meets the annual maintenance charge as a surprise a year later. Ask what the maintenance charge applies to, what triggers the transfer fee, what happens if an employee resigns, and what the company must keep on file. Record the answers with the date they were checked, and revisit them before each new sponsorship decision.
Sources reviewed 2026-09-07. This guide covers a preparation focus; it is not an individual eligibility assessment.