They answer different questions. Identify the listed qualification relied upon and the actual evidence needed before paying for either service.
Budget for the case’s real questions
A degree from an institution outside Canada, Mexico or the United States needs the applicable reliable evaluation. A portfolio assessment does not supply it. Keep current government charges, translation, records and optional professional assistance separate; a polished presentation cannot purchase a qualifying occupation.
A port-of-entry application carries a modest admission charge; an I-129 petition filed by the employer carries the petition fee listed in the USCIS G-1055 schedule, and sometimes an optional premium-processing fee if the employer wants a fast written decision. Employers sometimes reimburse some of these charges; ask in writing which ones and whether reimbursement is conditional on a period of service, because a repayment clause becomes a personal debt if the placement ends early. Keep employer credentialing, practice registration, any health-worker certification and immigration preparation as separate budget items rather than assuming one charge covers them all. The expense nobody plans for is the second attempt: a refusal recorded because a letter leaned on experience for a degree-only profession is answered for in every later application, and reopening it costs far more than the first review would have.