The amounts are stated in the official program materials and consist of the gift to the U.S. government together with a processing fee; related government filing fees appear in the USCIS fee schedule, Form G-1055. The gift is not an investment and should be assumed to be unrecoverable. Verify all current amounts before paying anything.
Budget it as money that does not come back
The correct financial framing is the simplest one: assume the money is gone. That is what distinguishes this route from an investment, and a household that would only proceed on the expectation of recovering the funds should not proceed at all. Add to the headline amount the professional fees for preparing an application, the cost of any documents and translations, and the ordinary costs of relocating a household, which are frequently larger than people expect.
Then compare that total against what the same sum would do in another route or in no route at all. Confirm the current figures on the official page on the day of the decision, because published amounts and procedures for a recent program can change without much notice. Hypothetical example: a translation-company owner plans to sell investments to fund the payment but has not considered tax, settlement timing, document costs, or the possibility that the transaction closes late.
Treat the payment as nonrecoverable and keep it distinct from application expenses and the household's relocation reserve. A first review should trace the proposed source and test whether funds are available when required. A financial plan fails when it counts a promised sale twice or assumes a gift payment can later be recovered like business capital.