IN THIS GUIDE · Breaking an employer's bundled immigration invoice into preparation work, government charges, and dependent steps
Start with the TN eligibility and application overview
Split the invoice into its actual components
Ask for four groups rather than one number: professional preparation and advice; government charges payable at the applicable step; third-party costs such as translation, document retrieval, courier, or a credential evaluation if one is needed; and travel. Government charges are set elsewhere and change, so they should appear as amounts to be confirmed against current official schedules rather than as part of a fixed professional fee. For the initial estimate, record what triggers each cost and who has authority to incur it. A credential evaluation may become relevant only after the profession and degree requirement are settled; ordering it first can create an expense that does not answer the actual issue. Keep receipts and payment instructions separate from the support letter, because they prove different things.
Establish who the client is and who receives the advice
When an employer pays, the engagement letter should still say whose interests the professional represents and what is confidential. The applicant may want independent advice on questions the employer has no stake in, such as long-term plans or a spouse's situation. Clarifying this at the outset avoids awkwardness later, particularly if the role changes or the applicant decides not to proceed after the file has started. The first review should also identify who will give instructions day to day and which entity can change the assignment. That record helps distinguish a real employer-supported engagement from an arrangement that leaves the professional operating an independently owned U.S. business. If the company expects work for a client, obtain the actual service description before deciding how the role should be described.
Treat dependent steps as their own line
A spouse and unmarried children under 21 may qualify for TD, and the steps involved are nationality-specific. Employers sometimes cover the principal only. Ask directly whether dependents are inside the quoted scope and for how many people. Keep in mind that TD permits study but does not authorize work, so a spouse's own employment plans are a separate matter that the invoice will not resolve. Before adding a dependent to the scope, confirm the relationship document, each person’s intended travel timing, and whether any separate work plan calls for another category. This is a concrete household decision: a spouse who expects local employment cannot solve that issue through TD alone. A short written scope prevents a family quote from being mistaken for work authorization advice.
Put any reimbursement condition in writing
Some employers attach conditions to paid immigration costs, such as repayment if the professional leaves within a stated period. Whether such a condition applies here, how it is calculated, and how it interacts with payroll and tax are questions for the employer and, where relevant, for the applicant's own advisers. Ask them before signing rather than assuming a policy carried over from another company applies. Ask for the repayment provision itself, including the event that activates it, the amount, and any deadline for repayment. The document that settles the point is the signed employment or reimbursement agreement, not a verbal account of past practice. Obtain individual advice where necessary before accepting a condition tied to a decision to leave employment.
Sources reviewed 2026-09-07. This guide covers a preparation focus; it is not an individual eligibility assessment.