Budget for the new application route, professional preparation, possible travel, and any dependent steps that apply. Also consider household costs during a work gap. Do not assume an existing TN record eliminates new government charges or that every employer-change case has the same total.
Allocate transition costs before resigning
Ask the new employer which expenses it will cover and whether the quote includes reviewing current status and family records. Keep optional expedited service, if available and selected, separate from ordinary fees; it does not guarantee approval. Verify the current fee schedule for the actual filing method.
A practical budget should also identify insurance transitions and refundable travel options so financial pressure does not become a reason to start the new U.S. work before authorization. Ask the first review to produce a cost list split three ways: what is payable to obtain authorization, what the household spends during any gap, and what remains contingent on a decision nobody has yet made.
The third column is the useful one, because it names the amounts that could still change and the event that would settle each. Put the question of employer coverage in writing before resigning, and ask specifically whether the new employer contribution includes review of the applicant current status and family records, since that scope is commonly assumed and rarely stated. Keep optional services identified as optional.
Verify current government charges at the point of payment rather than relying on a figure discussed at the first meeting, and do not assume an existing TN record removes new charges.