The purchase price is a commercial transaction, not an immigration fee or proof that a particular transfer qualifies.
Separate the transaction from the petition
Budget current official charges and genuine preparation work separately from acquisition expenses. A buyer may value a team’s expertise without establishing each employee’s qualifying foreign history or U.S. duties. Do not describe paying for the company as purchasing work permission, or assume the transaction adviser’s file automatically contains the applicant-specific evidence needed.
Government filing charges per the USCIS fee schedule, optional premium processing, counsel's fees for the eligibility review and petition, staff time to document the quality system, and L-2 applications for the family. USCIS does not charge a different fee based on how the specialized-knowledge case is argued, and the petition still follows the standard Form I-129 fee structure under the current fee schedule, Form G-1055, which should be verified before filing since amounts change. Specialized-knowledge petitions attract requests for evidence more often than most categories, so a thorough initial filing prepared by a licensed U.S. immigration attorney is cheaper than a thin one followed by a response.
- USCIS — L classification documentation and evidence
- Department of State — 9 FAM 402.12
- 8 USC 1184 — specialized knowledge definition
- USCIS — employment authorization for certain spouses
- ICE — nonimmigrant classes that may study
- USCIS — fee schedule
- L definitions, foreign employment and new-office evidence
- L1B specialized knowledge and offsite placement statute