The government charges depend on how the request is made — presented at a port of entry, or filed by the employer on Form I-129 — and current amounts are published in the USCIS fee schedule rather than quoted here. Professional fees for preparing the supporting letter and evidence are separate and depend on the scope of the work.
Budget for the preparation, not only the filing
Two costs get overlooked. The first is credential and evidence work: obtaining transcripts, having a foreign qualification assessed where one is involved, and paying for the time it takes an employer's counsel to draft a letter that actually addresses the profession being claimed. The second is the cost of a refusal, which is not a fee but is real — a rescheduled start date, a return trip, and in some cases an employer that fills the role with someone else. Government amounts change, so check the current USCIS fee schedule rather than relying on a figure quoted in an older article or by a colleague who applied several years ago. Ask any adviser to scope the likely work before agreeing a price, and to say plainly what is included.
A useful estimate separates fees from decisions that create exposure. Confirm whether the employer will pay for credential review, letter drafting, translations, and a resubmission if a document raises questions. The costliest mistake is often purchasing travel or ending Canadian employment before the role has been assessed against the listed profession. TN is for prearranged work for an employer, not a self-directed U.S. enterprise; a Canadian may request classification during inspection or the employer may proceed with I-129. Hypothetical example: A soil-salinity researcher has an offer contingent on a rapid start and considers paying for overnight document delivery. First compare the offer duties with the applicable entry, because a fast courier cannot cure a category mismatch.