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FRENCH RIVER · L-1A FIELD GUIDE

Is the budget for a replacement employee an immigration filing charge?

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THE DIRECT ANSWER

No. Business staffing and operating expenditure should be tracked separately from government fees, document preparation and professional services.

Explain what the staffing expense supports

A genuine replacement plan can help explain the managerial role, but spending a particular amount does not establish eligibility. Confirm current employer-specific filing charges and the scope of assistance rather than treating a personnel budget as a payment for approval.

Costs include the I-129 filing fee, the fraud prevention and detection fee, any asylum program fee that applies to the petitioner, optional premium processing, and professional fees; check current amounts in the USCIS fee schedule (G-1055). Reconstructing a clean ownership chain across a holding company and two operating builders can mean retrieving old share transfers, correcting registers that were never updated, obtaining certificates of good standing and having an accountant confirm the structure in writing. Ask the professional preparing the case, in writing, what the quoted scope covers and what it excludes: whether it includes reviewing the restructuring documents, corresponding with corporate counsel about the qualifying relationship, or responding to a request for evidence.