Costs vary by how many open questions remain: a credential evaluation, translation, dependent applications, and legal review of a genuinely ambiguous profession match all add scope beyond a straightforward case. Ask for an itemized estimate tied to the specific gaps identified, not a flat number quoted before the review is done.
Base the estimate on the gaps found
A case with clean citizenship, obvious profession fit, and complete credentials costs less to prepare than one needing a credential evaluation or a rewritten duty letter from the employer. Ask what the estimate assumes and what would change it, such as a licence renewal or a second application for a spouse. Confirm current government fees separately, since they change over time and are not part of the professional service estimate.
Three line items are commonly missed. Licensing board application and examination charges belong to the profession rather than the immigration file, yet they still gate the start date. A credential evaluation is priced per document and rises where translation is required.
And where a petition on Form I-129 is chosen instead of a request for admission at a port of entry, the employer generally carries filing charges that a port-of-entry request does not involve. Hypothetical example: a poultry scientist's estimate looks modest until evaluation of two foreign degrees and one translated transcript is added, which changes the sequence more than it changes the total.