The government charge for a Canadian applying at a port of entry is set out in the current USCIS fee schedule, and a petition filed from inside the United States carries the I-129 fee instead. The larger costs are usually the credentialing certificate, examination and state licensing fees, and any professional help with the file.
Budget for credentialing before immigration
The immigration fee itself is modest compared with what surrounds it. The health-care worker certificate involves credential evaluation, an English test where required and a fee to the certifying organization; state licensing adds its own application, verification and examination costs; transcripts and licence verifications often carry charges from the issuing institution. If Karina uses a licensed attorney to review the employer letter and file structure, that is a professional fee agreed in advance. Some hospitals reimburse licensing and immigration costs, so she should ask what the contract covers before paying anything herself. Check the USCIS G-1055 fee schedule for the current government amount rather than relying on a figure from a colleague's earlier crossing, because fees change and the schedule controls.
Hypothetical example: A Canadian librarian receives an offer from a university in the Midwest. Before accepting, she separates employer legal fees, credential costs, travel, licensing expenses and household moving costs. The employer’s written policy is the record that settles what it will reimburse; an oral assurance from a recruiter is not enough. She should also ask whether a delayed start leaves her responsible for temporary housing. A file often goes wrong when a candidate spends on an unnecessary credential evaluation or assumes a dependant’s visa expense is part of the employer package.