How much each U.S. work visa costs and how long it takes
Updated on 7/15/2026
Nobody publishes this table honestly because the truth doesn't sell packages: most sponsorship costs belong to the EMPLOYER by government rule — and the timelines are not controllable by anyone, not even the best lawyer.
Here is the real map, path by path.
Live numbers from official records364,447 jobs with verified sponsorship in the portal · 120,863 employers with government-approved history (DOL) · refreshed daily
Real timelines (order of magnitude)
From process start to arrival in the U.S.:
- H-2A / H-2B (temporary): months — the cycle follows the season. The bottleneck is landing the job in the right window, not the process.
- TN (Mexicans and Canadians): weeks — the fastest there is; Canadians get border decisions.
- H-1B: fixed annual cycle — lottery registration in March, work starts in October. No draw, no visa.
- EB-3 / EB-2 (green card): years — PERM (months to over a year) + I-140 + your country's Visa Bulletin queue, which changes monthly. Any 'guaranteed timeline' is structurally a lie: the queue honors no contract.
Costs: what the employer owes (by law) and what is yours
The EMPLOYER'S: the full PERM certification cost in the green card (ads, stage counsel — DOL rule), the H-2A/H-2B petition (with recruiting costs prohibited from being passed on), and typically the H-1B petition fees.
YOURS (legitimate): the consular visa fee per person, medical exam, certified translations, records and flights — the combined order of magnitude is hundreds of dollars per person, not thousands. Official fees change periodically; always check current amounts on consulate and USCIS sites.
SCAM: any charge 'for the job', 'for the guarantee' or 'for placement'. Real jobs are not for sale — and charging workers violates the programs' rules.
Why to distrust packages
If a seller promises a 'guaranteed green card in 12 months for US$ 15,000', they are promising to control two things nobody controls: the Visa Bulletin queue and a consular officer's decision. Money buys at most the paperwork — which real employers already pay for. Our portal exists to prove the opposite: genuinely sponsored jobs are public in government records, and access to them does not cost thousands of dollars.
Free account — real openings with sponsorship proven by public records.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a U.S. work visa cost?
The heavy part is the employer's by rule (PERM on green cards, H-2 petitions). Your legitimate costs — consular fee, medical exam, translations, flights — add up to hundreds of dollars per person, not thousands.
How long does the employment green card take?
Years: PERM + I-140 + your country's monthly Visa Bulletin queue. Nobody can guarantee a timeline — anyone who does is lying.
Who pays the process lawyer?
For the green card's PERM stage, the employer — DOL rule. Charging workers 'for the job' is prohibited in H-2 programs and a clear scam signal.