Government charges, professional fees, any credential evaluation actually required, and travel, each confirmed separately before payment.
Only pay for what this specific occupation needs
Ask the dealer to confirm the occupation and actual duties before commissioning credential services. A repair-heavy assignment may present a classification question that an expensive evaluation cannot solve. Identify whether a degree from an institution outside Canada, Mexico or the United States requires the reliable evaluation, and whether the selected procedure needs translations or other supporting evidence. Obtain separate quotes describing their deliverables. Then budget for the applicant’s actual admission, visa or petition route, checking current government fees and distinguishing them from professional charges. Add travel only once the next procedural step is clear. A package advertised for another occupation or nationality can include irrelevant services or omit necessary ones; price alone is not evidence that the proposed job qualifies.
Build the budget after identifying citizenship, the claimed profession in Appendix 2 to Annex 16-A of the USMCA, its minimum credential, and the procedure. Canadian citizens may request TN classification at an eligible port of entry or preclearance location, or a prospective employer may file Form I-129. List current government charges from official instructions without assuming another applicant's total, then separate translation, credential analysis, counsel, transport, and employer document preparation. Obtain a written scope for each service. The common mistake is purchasing an evaluation before confirming that the job is prearranged professional activity for a U.S. or foreign employer and not self-employment.
Hypothetical example: A soil scientist outside Tecumseh is offered a temporary assignment assessing nutrient data for a crop-input distributor. The applicant's graduate credential is Canadian, but earlier academic records came from elsewhere. The parties first determine which records meet the profession's credential rule, then request a narrowly described evaluation only if needed. Their worksheet distinguishes employer letter preparation from the applicant's travel and document expenses, and leaves a contingency for translation without inventing a filing-fee estimate.