Government filing fees are set out in the USCIS fee schedule, Form G-1055, and vary with the forms filed and the size of the employer, with faster processing available at additional cost. The larger expense is usually accounting and corporate work: assembling registers, statements and trading evidence for two companies.
Expect the accountant's bill before the government's
In a closely held agricultural business the documents the petition needs have often never been produced in the form required. Corporate registers may need updating, financial statements may need to be prepared for the US entity, and payroll records may have to be pulled from a former bookkeeper. Budget for that work and start it early, because it sets the pace of everything else. Check current government fees at the time of filing rather than relying on an earlier figure. Consider faster processing only after the evidence is sound; paying to accelerate a decision on a petition whose ownership chart is unclear simply produces a request for evidence sooner, and the family will still be waiting on the accountant.
Hypothetical example: the chief financial officer of an oilseed-processing group discovers that the U.S. affiliate’s books are not separated from the Canadian parent’s. A first review prices the work needed to produce reliable financial statements, ownership records, payroll proof and an organizational chart. Engagement letters from accountants and corporate counsel establish the expected cost better than an informal estimate. Sequencing matters: pay for the record-building first, then decide whether expedited processing is useful. Accelerating an incomplete petition only brings the evidentiary question forward.