The employer pays the I-129 petition fee and, where applicable, the fraud prevention fee and any premium-processing charge, all listed in the current USCIS fee schedule. Professional fees for preparing the corporate evidence, and the cost of the acquisition itself, are separate business expenses.
Corporate evidence, not the government fee, drives the budget
For a transfer tied to an acquisition, the expensive part is proving the relationship: obtaining certified corporate records from two jurisdictions, having accountants produce financial statements for both entities, and paying counsel to write a petition that traces ownership cleanly. Government charges are fixed and published; check the G-1055 schedule for the I-129 fee, the fraud prevention and detection fee, and any additional fees that apply to larger employers, and confirm whether premium processing is worth paying for a start date tied to the dealership's selling season. Family members who need L-2 visas pay consular fees. The group should budget these items alongside the acquisition's legal costs rather than treating immigration as an afterthought, and should confirm who pays each charge, because some fees must be paid by the employer.
Hypothetical example: A regional manager for an elevator-service company is offered a transfer to an affiliate. The company should distinguish filing fees, counsel fees, document collection, translations, premium processing if chosen, relocation and dependant-related costs. The petition’s fee payer and any reimbursement agreement should be documented before filing. The business also needs a budget for records needed at an extension, particularly if this is a new office. A case can be weakened when corporate filings, payroll proof or lease records are treated as optional administrative expenses and never collected.