The Form I-129 filing fee, the fraud-prevention fee, any asylum program fee applicable to the employer’s size, and optional premium processing, all at the amounts on the USCIS fee schedule, plus the cost of preparing the corporate and employment evidence.
Government fees are published; preparation is where the effort goes
An L-1 petition is filed on Form I-129 with the L classification supplement. The fees due are the base I-129 fee for L petitions, the fraud prevention and detection fee that applies to initial L petitions, and the asylum program fee, all of which vary with the employer’s size and are listed on the USCIS fee schedule, Form G-1055. Premium processing is optional and carries its own published fee. Because the Canadian parent is a small employer, the reduced fee tiers may apply, and the petition should state the employee count accurately. Beyond government fees, the substantive cost is assembling the closing binder, the organizational charts and the payroll record, obtaining certified translations of French-language corporate documents and, if counsel is engaged, professional fees. Extensions are further I-129 filings with their own fees. The company should also budget for the U.S. payroll and tax registration that her employment by the subsidiary will require, which is separate from immigration cost.
A first budget should separate filing charges from relocation and operating expenses, because neither category proves the petition. Form G-1055 is the record that settles the current government amount and the employer-size tier. Hypothetical example: a municipal fleet-maintenance supplier transfers its general manager after acquiring a U.S. shop. It should price translations, payroll setup and housing separately from immigration fees, and should not promise a seven-year L-1A stay without counting time already spent in L classification. A rushed estimate commonly omits extension costs.