Filing fees are set by the USCIS fee schedule, Form G-1055, and vary with the forms filed and the employer's size, with optional faster processing available at additional cost. Beyond the government fees the real expense is assembling corporate and payroll evidence for two companies and any professional help in drafting the petition.
Budget for evidence-gathering, not just filing
For a small seasonal business the petition's cost sits mostly in accounting and administrative time: producing three years of payroll, reconstructing an organizational chart that was never written down, obtaining corporate registers and share transfer records, and gathering proof that both companies are actually trading. Allow for a bookkeeper's hours and for the possibility that a record has to be requested from a former payroll provider. Consult the current fee schedule when budgeting rather than relying on a number from an earlier filing, since fees change.
Decide early whether faster processing is worth its additional charge for this case: it shortens the wait for a decision but does nothing for a petition whose qualifying year or reporting structure is thin, and money is better spent first on the evidence that answers those questions. Hypothetical example: a specialty-coffee roaster has related Canadian and US companies but its share register is held by an accountant who needs time to retrieve it. Budget for corporate records, payroll reconstruction, translations if needed, government charges, and professional preparation as distinct items.
A first review should show which expense proves eligibility and which merely accelerates processing. The costly mistake is paying for faster review before resolving an ownership discrepancy or weak reporting structure, then spending again when the evidence must be rebuilt after a request for more information.