Separate government charges for the chosen procedure from professional services, document retrieval, translation or evaluation where needed, and travel. Confirm current amounts and the scope of quoted work before paying.
Budget for the evidence actually required
Ask which items are necessary for this profession and process rather than buying a generic package of translations or evaluations. Clarify whether the professional quote includes later questions or only the initial preparation. Keep family-related steps and changeable travel arrangements visible as separate costs; no preparation expense guarantees admission.
Foreign degrees from institutions outside Canada, Mexico and the United States require reliable evaluations; foreign-language USCIS submissions require complete certified English translations. A Canadian citizen presenting TN evidence directly at a land port of entry pays a different fee structure than an employer that instead files Form I-129 with USCIS in advance, and either route can carry additional charges depending on how the case is processed. Registration or authorization to practise in the state, official transcripts ordered from a university, criminal record and vulnerable sector checks required for school work, professional liability insurance, and any credential verification the employer insists on each carry their own cost and their own waiting period.