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MCBRIDE · GOLD CARD FIELD GUIDE

Can a joining spouse be omitted from the payment calculation because the group budget is large?

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THE DIRECT ANSWER

No. Each eligible joining spouse has a stated US$15,000 nonrefundable processing fee and US$1 million gift. The same amounts apply to each eligible joining unmarried child under 21.

Use the actual household members

These family charges apply in corporate cases too, and initial inclusion is recommended. A larger pooled budget does not waive individual eligibility or automatically protect age.

The employment-based immigrant categories include a spouse and unmarried children under twenty-one as derivatives, and it is natural to expect the same pattern elsewhere, but that expectation is an assumption rather than a finding. The official program’s current rules control the role of an applicant, any sponsor, and any family member; a private employer cannot convert a relative into an eligible person by paying or promising support. Build a child-specific chronology before payment: long-form birth record, passports, custody or adoption evidence where relevant, marital-status records, prior filings, and exact dates needed for any CSPA review. Where a household's plan depends on a particular treatment of a child approaching adulthood, obtain written confirmation before committing funds, since a transfer of this kind cannot be reversed once the answer turns out to be different from the assumption.