Start with the GOLD CARD eligibility and application overview
Ask what the card is and what it is not
The Gold Card is a program framework, not a new statutory visa class. The official page describes an individual route involving a gift to the U.S. government of US$1 million and a non-refundable processing fee of US$15,000 per person, with the underlying immigrant eligibility assessed under existing employment-based criteria. A corporate-sponsored variant is described on the official page and its terms, including the sponsor's contribution and what happens on a change of employer, should be read there directly and re-verified before any commitment. This edition does not restate the corporate figures because they must be confirmed against the current official text.
Ask the sponsor who pays and who owns the outcome
The executive should ask, in writing, whether the customer or her Canadian employer would be the sponsor, who pays the gift and fee, whether any part is treated as compensation to her, and whether the sponsor expects repayment if the employment ends. She should also ask whether the immigrant petition would be filed by the sponsor as employer, and if so what job, salary and location it describes; the answers determine whether the underlying immigrant case is hers or the sponsor's. The practical decision is whether the applicant is willing to make an irreversible gift payment while relying on a separate immigration theory. Request the proposed petition strategy and any repayment agreement before payment, then compare their terms with the official program materials. A private agreement cannot convert the gift payment into an equity stake, and it should not be confused with the business-risk analysis used for investor categories.
Ask which immigrant criteria she must meet
The gift does not substitute for eligibility. A sales executive should find out whether the sponsor proposes an EB-1 or EB-2 basis and what evidence her career supplies: awards, publications, leadership of a significant sales organization, or a national-interest argument. If her record does not support the proposed basis, no gift changes that, and the processing fee is stated to be non-refundable. Admissibility, including any prior US immigration history, is assessed separately.
Ask what she may do while it is pending
A pending Gold Card application does not authorize US employment. She may continue her Canadian role, including sales calls to US customers made from Canada, and may travel to the United States for meetings as a visitor, subject to the ordinary limits on visitor activity. Taking up a position at the US customer before permanent residence is granted would require a work status of its own, such as a TN if her role fits a listed profession or an L-1 if a corporate relationship exists.
Sources reviewed 2026-09-07. This guide covers a preparation focus; it is not an individual eligibility assessment.