The official FAQ currently permits inclusion of a spouse and unmarried children younger than twenty-one in the initial filing. Each included person carries a separate processing fee and gift; everyone else needs an independent route. Check the official FAQ again immediately before transferring funds.
Read the family provisions rather than assuming them
At present, the programme FAQ says an individual applicant or corporate sponsor may put a spouse and unmarried children under twenty-one on the initial application, giving them the programme's privileges and expedited processing. Each included relative currently carries an additional processing fee and gift. Adult children, parents and other relatives are outside that provision and need independent routes. Because the terms can change, the household should consult the official FAQ immediately before applying or transferring money and have a licensed U.S. immigration attorney confirm how they apply.
Hypothetical example: Corinne, a Canadian bookstore owner, is considering a Gold Card while planning for her spouse, a twenty-year-old unmarried son, and a thirty-year-old daughter. A first review should identify the current official family provisions and collect passports, marriage records, birth records, and any name-change documents. Those records settle relationships; they do not place every adult family member within the programme. Corinne must decide whether the daughter needs an independent plan before anyone pays or relocates. A recurring error is treating a household as the legal unit when the governing category specifies narrower derivative relationships and age conditions.