To enter and work in the United States, immigrant workers need to obtain a visa. Broadly speaking, there are two categories of employment visas: temporary (non-immigrant) visas and permanent visas (green cards).
Temporary workers are in the United States without the intent to stay there as a permanent resident. Entering the country under such a visa requires a specific purpose, and their stay must be limited. Holders of a temporary work visa are restricted to the specific activity and reason for which the visa was issued. The H1B, H2A, H2B, L1, B and O visas are all examples of temporary / non immigrant visas.
Permanent work visas enable foreign nationals to work and live in the US permanently. These visas subjected holders to fewer restrictions than workers with temporary visas. People with a permanent work visa can also apply for U.S. citizenship. If a person is already in the U.S. on a temporary visa, they can apply for “adjustment of status” to permanent residence after USCIS approves their employer’s petition.
Depending on your specific situation, different visa options may be available. An immigration lawyer can help you determine the right path for you. When deciding to hire an immigration attorney, it is important to discuss the fees that will be involved in resolving the immigration matter. Because immigration procedures are fairly predictable, it is often possible to get a flat fee quote to handle the case beginning to end.
The below table provides an overview of the schedule of immigration fees of one of the attorneys in the Legal.io network (last updated July 2020). These fees cover the work by the attorney and do not include other fees that may arise as part of a case, such as USCIS fees, educational evaluation costs, advertisement costs, and other incidental expenses.
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Description |
Professional Fee ($) |
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A |
TEMPORARY/NON-IMMIGRANT VISAS |
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1 |
H-1B, Specialty Occupation Visa (includes new H-1B, amendment/extensions, transfer) |
2800 |
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2 |
Combined Wage Determination and Labor Condition Application only |
350 |
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3 |
H-2B, Visa for Seasonal/Temporary/Non-Agricultural Workers |
5000 |
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4 |
H-4/L-2, Dependent Visa for spouse and children of H/L Visa workers (if filed along with H Visa) |
400 |
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5 |
Dependent Extension/Change Status; Form I-539, depending upon visa classification requested. COS from B to F-1 are $2000. |
750-2000 |
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6 |
O-1, Extraordinary Ability Visa |
4500 |
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7 |
K-1, Fiancé Visa (I-129F+ Consular Processing) |
2500 |
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8 |
L-1A, Intra-company Transferee, Executive Manager |
4500 |
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9 |
L-1B, Intra-company Transferee, Specialized Knowledge |
4500 |
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10 |
EAD, Application for Employment Authorization |
500 |
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11 |
TN NAFTA Workers (Canadian and Mexican Nationals |
1800 |
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12 |
E-3, Specialty Occupation Visa for Australian Nationals |
1500 |
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13 |
E-1/E-2, Treaty Trader/Treaty Investor Visa |
4500 |
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14 |
J-1, Training Visa |
2200 |
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15 |
Combined Application for COS (H-4/L-2) + EAD |
1000 |
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B |
IMMIGRANT VISAS/GREEN CARDS |
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16 |
PERM Labor Certification |
2500 |
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17 |
PERM Audits |
750-1500 |
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18 |
EB-2/EB-3 Worker I-140 Petition |
2200 |
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19 |
EB-1A Persons of Extraordinary Ability (I-140 Petition and Support Letter only) |
6000 |
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20 |
EB-1B Outstanding Professors/Researchers (I-140 Petition and Support Letter only) |
6000 |
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21 |
EB-1C Executives/Managers (I-140 Petition and Support Letter only) |
6000 |
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22 |
National Interest Waivers (NIW) (I-140 Petition and Support Letter only) |
6000 |
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23 |
Family Green Card – I-130 Petition only (Filed by USC and/or LPR for Spouse, Child, Parent, Sibling) |
2000/petition |
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24 |
Family Green Card (I-130) + Adjustment of Status (AOS/I-485) filed by USC Spouse. This includes the Affidavit of Support, Declaration of Self-Sufficiency, Employment Authorization and Travel Document. This does not include Attorney representation at the USCIS interview. |
4200 |
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25 |
Family Green Card and Adjustment of Status filed by USC Parent for USC Son/Daughter). This includes the Affidavit of Support, Declaration of Self-Sufficiency, Employment Authorization and Travel Document. This does not include Attorney representation at the USCIS interview. |
4000/person |
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26 |
Adjustment of Status (AOS) only; principal applicant/each dependent applicant. This includes filing of Affidavit of Support, Declaration of Self-Sufficiency, Employment Authorization Document & Advance Parole. |
3000/person |
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27 |
National Visa Center (NVC) Processing |
2500/person |
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28 |
EB-5; Investment Visa (includes I-526; AOS and/or NVC processing for the applicant and family and I-824; payable over a period of 2 years). Fee depends upon the manner of investment. |
20000-45000 |
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29 |
Removal of Conditions of Residence; Form I-751 |
2000 |
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|
30 |
Attorney Representation at USCIS interview (USCIS field offices at San Jose and San Francisco) |
500 |
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C |
Other Immigration Issues |
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|
30 |
Application for Naturalization; depends upon facts and complexity of the case (excluding Attorney representation at the interview) |
1200+ |
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31 |
AC-21 Notice of Change of Employer |
1200 |
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32 |
B-1/B-2 Visa |
1000 |
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33 |
Immigration consultation (with/without review of documents) |
225-275 |
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34 |
Responding to Requests for Evidence. For those cases where our office did not file the initial casework, the fee will depend upon the facts/complexity of the case. |
TBD. Starts at 1500. |
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35 |
Responding to Requests for Evidence when our office has filed the initial petition/application |
300-750 |
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36 |
Attorney’s hourly rate for Site Visits, I-9 Audits, etc. |
350 |
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