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H-1B total cost one-pager for employers
What finance and HR should budget for an H-1B transfer or new cap filing in 2026 — flat legal fees vs. hourly firms, plus USCIS government charges.
H-1B Total Cost — Employer One-Pager (2026)
Illustrative totals for budgeting. Use the interactive cost calculatorinteractive cost calculator at h1bfiling.com for your exact employer size and case type.
Sample employer budgets
H-1B transfer (change of employer)
Mid-size employer · standard size · online I-129
- Legal / service
- $2,999
- USCIS (est.)
- ~$2,380
- Est. total
- ~$5,379
- • Includes I-129 base ($780), ACWIA ($1,500), fraud fee ($500), asylum program ($600)
- • No lottery registration — candidate already in H-1B status
- • Premium processing (+$2,965) optional
H-1B transfer — small employer (≤25 employees)
Small company · first or occasional sponsor
- Legal / service
- $2,999
- USCIS (est.)
- ~$1,510
- Est. total
- ~$4,509
- • Reduced USCIS fees: I-129 ($460), ACWIA ($750), asylum ($300), fraud ($500)
- • h1bfiling flat fee is the same — employer questions included, not hourly
Cap-subject new H-1B (lottery + filing)
New hire selected in FY lottery · standard employer
- Legal / service
- $999 lottery + $2,999 filing
- USCIS (est.)
- ~$2,595
- Est. total
- ~$6,593
- • Adds $215 H-1B registration fee if cap-subject
- • Full petition fees after lottery selection
- • Cap-exempt university/hospital paths skip lottery — confirm eligibility
Flat fee vs hourly legal fees
Typical hourly firm
$4,000–$8,000+ legal fees for a single transfer (emails, revisions, RFE hours extra)
h1bfiling.com
$2,999 flat — lawyer review and employer questions during prep included
Government USCIS fees are the same regardless of which provider prepares the petition.
Who pays what
Employer (required)
- • h1bfiling service fee (flat per case)
- • USCIS I-129 and related government fees
- • DOL LCA filing (no fee to DOL for standard LCAs)
- • Premium processing if elected
Cannot charge employee
- • Attorney / petition preparation fees
- • USCIS filing fees for the H-1B petition
- • ACWIA training fee
- • Fraud prevention fee (where applicable)
Employee may pay (limited)
- • Credential evaluation (if needed)
- • Personal travel for consular visa stamping
- • Dependent H-4 filing if employer chooses not to sponsor
USCIS government fee reference
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| H-1B registration (cap-subject) | $215 |
| Form I-129 base filing fee | $780 online / $730 paper |
| ACWIA training fee | $1,500 |
| Fraud prevention fee | $500 |
| Asylum program fee | $600 |
| Premium processing (Form I-907) | $2,965 |
| Public Law 114-113 fee | $4,000 |
File at $2,999 flat
Lawyer-reviewed LCA and I-129 — employer questions during prep included, not billed hourly.
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