Per the official framework the processing fee is nonrefundable; whether any part of the gift is refundable in any circumstance must be read on the official page. Government fees for the underlying petition and visa, per the USCIS G-1055 and Department of State schedules, are also generally not refunded.
Assume nothing comes back unless the official page says so
Hypothetical example: the couple plan their finances on the assumption that a refusal returns the gift. The official page describes a nonrefundable processing fee that is separate from the gift, and the gift itself is a gift to the U.S. government; read the official text for whether and when any portion could be returned, and do not rely on an adviser's assurance.
The underlying employment-based process carries its own government fees under the G-1055 schedule and the Department of State schedule, which are not refunded on denial. Add legal fees and certified translations of French records. Unlike EB-5 capital, the gift is not at risk in a business and carries no expectation of return, so it should not be compared with an investment.
Obtain every figure from the official source, in writing, dated, and keep it with the file. Cost planning must describe the required payment separately from advisers' fees, document retrieval, translations, travel, and any alternative immigration strategy. The payment is made by the applicant to the U.S.
government; it is not a purchase of a business interest or a conventional visa fee. Hypothetical example: a ceramic-restoration studio owner receives a proposal that bundles the gift payment with a broker's success charge. The reviewer asks for separate payees, terms, and receipts, then compares the nonrefundable exposure with other routes.
Clear allocation prevents a marketing package from obscuring what each payment actually accomplishes.