Flat Fee vs Hourly Billing for H-1B Filings: What Employers Pay

Traditional immigration firms often bill hourly for H-1B transfers — attorney time, paralegal time, RFE responses, and LCA amendments can push total employer cost well above initial quotes. Flat-fee models bundle petition preparation into one predictable number.

What hourly billing often excludes

• RFE response (sometimes billed separately at hourly rates)
• LCA amendments or additional worksites
• Premium processing coordination (USCIS fee always separate)
• USCIS filing fees and fraud prevention fee
• Document chasing and candidate follow-up

What a flat employer fee should cover

• LCA preparation, prevailing wage analysis, and DOL filing
• Form I-129 petition, support letter, and evidence packet
• Attorney review before USCIS submission
• Candidate document portal and employer case tracking
• Clear scope: what's included vs government fees

Hourly traps: emails, calls, and “quick questions”

Many employers discover the real cost of hourly counsel when HR sends follow-up emails — LCA posting questions, prevailing-wage clarifications, candidate document gaps, or “can you jump on a call?” Each touchpoint can bill 0.2–0.5 hours. Flat-fee providers should include normal case-prep communication in the quoted price so you are not surprised by an invoice for asking questions.

h1bfiling.com charges $2,999 flat for full H-1B filing (change of employer, extensions, and post-lottery cases). Employer and candidate questions during LCA and I-129 preparation are included in that fixed cost — not billed as additional hourly queries. USCIS and premium processing fees are always separate and paid to the government.