Government charges are set out in the USCIS fee schedule and at the port of entry; credential evaluations, state licensing fees and professional review are separate and are not immigration fees.
Keep four cost categories apart
Hypothetical example: A Portugal Cove-St. Philip's applicant should budget in four columns. The first is government charges: the port-of-entry application fee for a Canadian TN applicant, or the Form I-129 fees if the employer petitions, all of which are published in the USCIS fee schedule, Form G-1055, and should be read there rather than quoted from memory. The second is credential costs: a foreign credential evaluation if the diploma is from outside North America, and any U.S. state laboratory licence application fee. The third is professional fees for reviewing the file, which are agreed in advance and are not a government charge. The fourth is relocation and living costs, which have no bearing on eligibility. A hospital that offers a signing bonus or relocation allowance is offering a benefit, not evidence that the position qualifies for TN. Ask the employer which of these costs it will cover and record the answer in the offer.
Hypothetical example: an urban planner receives an offer from a city planning department and assumes the employer's relocation package covers every required expense. Ask for a written itemization showing the government charge, any licensing or credential expense, and which party pays each one. The offer, not a verbal assurance, settles whether reimbursement arrives before or after an outlay. A separate comparison of recurring rent, insurance, and travel costs helps the applicant decide whether a temporary assignment remains workable even if the immigration file itself is inexpensive.