The processing fee of US$15,000 per person is nonrefundable, so a household of four commits sixty thousand dollars before the outcome is known. The gift is made after vetting, which means the sequence gives an applicant one clear decision point after the fee and before the seven-figure payment.
Two payments, two very different risks
Keeping the two payments distinct is the whole of prudent planning here. The processing fee is charged per person, is paid up front, and is gone whether or not the application succeeds. The gift comes after vetting is completed, which means an applicant learns something material about the likely outcome before the largest payment is made.
That structure gives Aurélie a natural review point, and it should be used deliberately rather than passed through on momentum. Around both payments sit ordinary professional costs: legal advice on the underlying employment-based classification, tax advice on what a seven-figure irrevocable payment does to her personal and corporate position, and accounting work if the contractor business is to fund any part of it. None of those are refundable either.
Because published terms have been amended since the framework was announced, every figure quoted here should be re-verified against the official page and FAQ immediately before a transfer is authorized.