Who pays the attorney fees?

For the H-1B visa, attorney fees related to the petition are generally covered by the employer. The employer is the one who initiates the process to bring the professional on board, and U.S. law is designed precisely to protect the worker from bearing costs that should not be passed on to them.

This arrangement is part of the company’s commitment to hiring and regularizing the professional’s status. Even so, it is worth paying close attention to the details of what has been agreed upon:

• Review the contractual terms at the very start of the employment relationship.
• Distinguish between the costs inherent to the petition itself, which generally fall on the employer, and optional additional services.
• For services that are not legally required, there may be room to discuss cost-sharing, always within the limits that the law allows.

Because there are specific rules about which expenses cannot be passed on to the worker, and those rules can be updated, the safest approach is to confirm the details with the official source and, if in doubt, seek guidance from an immigration professional before signing any agreement.

About the author

Victoria Harper

Editor-in-Chief

Meet the author

As a journalist and lead editor at Visto n’ Visa, Victoria helps ensure that immigration topics are covered in a clear, trustworthy, and easy-to-understand way. Her focus is on delivering useful, human, and relevant content for people exploring new paths abroad.