Check the family terms on the official page before any payment. Current terms require a separate nonrefundable US$15,000 processing fee and, after successful vetting and instructions, a US$1 million gift for each eligible joining spouse or unmarried child under twenty-one, including in corporate-sponsored cases.
Verify family treatment before the money moves
The official family terms are per person rather than ordinary cost-free derivative treatment. Under the current FAQ, each eligible joining spouse or unmarried child under twenty-one adds a nonrefundable US$15,000 processing fee and, following successful vetting and official instructions, a US$1 million gift, including in corporate-sponsored cases. The FAQ directs applicants to include joining family members in the initial application for the associated processing benefits. Payment does not itself confer status or preserve a child's age, so record each birth date and assess any Child Status Protection Act issue using the underlying immigrant-petition and visa-availability facts. Re-check the official family terms immediately before payment.
The household review should identify each person who expects to benefit, their age, relationship records, and any separate immigration need. Official implementing materials settle how dependants are treated; a family conversation does not. The decision is whether the current framework answers the household’s needs or whether an established category provides clearer derivative rules. Keep school and work plans conditional until the relevant procedure and timing are confirmed. Hypothetical example: a wildlife-photography publisher has an adult child who expects to relocate too, so the family asks whether that child has an independent route rather than assuming inclusion.