Identity and family information, the precise proposal actually under consideration, and questions about eligibility, funding, and the current instructions. Follow the official directions for the subsequent USCIS forms and supporting evidence.
Rely on a dated official reference, not secondhand summaries
The official website explains that applicants receive further USCIS instructions after the initial payment step. Review those requirements directly before assuming an unrelated investor file can simply be reused. Keep a record of which version of the instructions informed the current plan — an adviser's checklist should match the actual process rather than replace the government's own current directions.
Prepare identity, address, travel, admissibility, classification, and family records, organizing them against current official directions rather than an EB-5 checklist. The online application and US$15,000 nonrefundable DHS charge come first. Once payment has settled, USCIS identifies Form I-140G as “Immigrant Petition for the Gold Card Program” and prompts its filing. Supporting submissions and vetting follow; only afterward does the government request the US$1 million United States gift. Preserve dated instruction copies and receipts. The common mistake is sending investor-project documents that do not establish EB-1 or EB-2 eligibility.
Hypothetical example: a Windsor vineyard-equipment exporter assembles passports, ownership history, awards, contracts, prior immigration records, and marriage documentation in labeled folders. He maps each record to the prospective EB-1 or EB-2 theory and flags missing dates for counsel. No regional-center prospectus or job forecast is inserted merely because it appeared in an EB-5 comparison. He waits for each official USCIS direction, records its date, and does not transmit the gift during preliminary document collection.