Government charges depend on the route chosen: a port-of-entry application carries the applicable border processing charge, while an employer-filed Form I-129 carries the petition fee in the USCIS fee schedule. Confirm current amounts on the official fee schedule rather than relying on figures quoted secondhand.
Check the schedule, and separate government charges from everything else
Fees change, and the reliable source is the USCIS fee schedule published as G-1055 for petition filings, with border processing charges set separately by Customs and Border Protection. Two practical points matter more than the numbers. First, government charges are usually the smallest line in the exercise: credential evaluation, legal fees, travel and any state licensing application typically cost more, and none of them appear on a fee schedule. Second, who pays is a matter of the employment agreement rather than immigration law. Many employers cover both government charges and legal fees for a role they want filled, but this should be settled in writing before the application, because a dispute about a few hundred dollars in week one sets a poor tone for a job the applicant has just resigned another position to take.
Hypothetical example: a forest-products economist is promised reimbursement after the first month of employment. The review should decide who pays each cost and whether reimbursement has conditions, using a dated budget, employment terms, current fee information, and receipts. Put the payer, payment date, and refund condition beside every item before money moves. Check current government figures directly. The recurring error is that an invoice proves a commercial arrangement, not professional eligibility. Financial planning follows the substantive eligibility analysis.