EB-1A Visa Cost — What an Athlete's Self-Petition Costs, in Full
Written for athletes, coaches and the representatives advising them, who are pricing a permanent-residence self-petition before they commit to it.
$500, one time.
One hour with the attorney. Credited 100% toward your legal fee if you engage this office within 90 days. Government filing fees payable to USCIS are separate.
An EB-1A has three separate cost lines and they are usually quoted as though they were one. Below is what this office charges, what the government charges, and the third line nobody mentions until it arrives. Then, if you want a read on whether your record is there yet, the consultation is the next step.
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The three cost lines, separately
One — the legal fee. This office quotes an EB-1A petition at a flat $8,000. Flat means the number does not move because the case took longer than expected. It covers preparing and filing the petition: the strategy, the evidence set, the expert and support letters, the brief, and the response if a Request for Evidence arrives.
Two — government filing fees. These are set by USCIS, they are paid to USCIS, and they are never included in a legal fee. They change when the agency changes them, so this page does not print a figure that would go stale on it. You are quoted the current amounts at the time of filing, and premium processing, if you use it, is a further government fee on top.
Three — the costs people forget. Certified translations of foreign documents, obtaining records from federations or governing bodies, and, at the final stage, either the adjustment-of-status filing or consular processing with its medical examination. None of these is a legal fee and none of them is optional if your record needs them.
- The $500 consultation is credited 100% toward the legal fee if you engage this office within 90 days, so for anyone who goes ahead it is not an additional cost.
- An EB-1A is a self-petition, so there is no employer or sponsor paying any part of this.
- If the call shows the record is not there yet, you are told that on the call, and the cheapest EB-1A is the one that was not filed a year too early.
Sherrod Seward, Esq. — what this consultation is, in 45 seconds
Who books this call
Athletes and competitors
You compete professionally or at national level and you need to be in the United States to train, compete or sign. Whether that is a P-1 or an O-1 is usually the first thing we settle.
Coaches, trainers and support staff
Coaches are the single largest group that contacts this office. A coaching record is evidenced differently from a competing record, and the category that fits a head coach is often not the one that fits the athlete they coach.
Agents, managers, clubs and promoters
If you are bringing someone in, the question is usually the petitioner structure. A U.S. agent petitioner can support engagements across multiple clubs, academies and events instead of tying an athlete to one employer. That structure is a large part of what this office does.
What the hour covers
- Which category your facts support: EB-1A, O-1A or P-1A — or none of them yet, and why.
- A candid read on the evidence you already have: rankings, titles, contracts, press, earnings, national-team selection — and the gaps that draw an RFE.
- Who the petitioner should be, and whether an agent petitioner structure fits how you actually work.
- Realistic timing, including whether premium processing changes anything for your deadline.
- What it costs to do properly: legal fees, and government filing fees, which are separate.
- If you have already been denied or have an RFE in hand, what your options are now.
The fee
The consultation fee is $500 USD, one time. It covers the consultation itself — the assessment, the recommendation, and the answers to your questions on the call. It credits 100% toward your retainer if you engage this office within 90 days. Government filing fees payable to USCIS are separate and are never included in a legal fee.
If you are on a deadline
Say so on the form. A season start, a fight date, a signed contract, a status about to expire, or an RFE with a response deadline all change what is realistically available. It is better to know in an hour than to find out in six weeks.
Case summaries, narrated by the attorney
These are case summaries narrated by the attorney about matters this office worked on. They are not client testimonials and no client is speaking in them. Every case is decided on its own record by a government officer. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome, and nothing in these videos predicts what will happen in any other case.
Interviews from the industry
An interview, not a client testimonial and not an endorsement. Taking part in a conversation implies no affiliation between this office and any promotion, league, federation or management company, and no view about any case.
Questions people ask before they book
Do I need to know which visa I need before I book?
No. Working that out is the main thing the call is for. Most people arrive knowing they need to be in the United States and not much more than that.
Is the $8,000 the whole cost?
It is the whole legal fee for the petition. Government filing fees are separate and are paid to USCIS, and the third line above covers translations and records. Everything is quoted in writing before anything is signed.
Can I pay in instalments?
Payment terms are agreed in the engagement agreement and instalments are common. It is a reasonable thing to raise on the consultation call.
My petition was denied, or I have an RFE. Is it too late?
Not necessarily, and it is worth a proper look. Bring the denial notice or the RFE to the call.
How long does the process take?
It depends on the category, the service center, and whether premium processing is available and worth using. Timing is one of the things the call is for — and no honest answer to that question exists before someone has looked at your facts.
Is the $500 refundable?
It credits 100% toward your retainer on an engagement signed within 90 days. It is not otherwise refundable — it pays for the attorney's time on the call.
Not ready to book an hour yet?
Xtraordinary Scoring
Xtraordinary Scoring reads a petition, an RFE response or an exhibit set the way a skeptical officer would, and tells you where it is thin. There is a free trial. It is a scoring tool, not legal advice: its output is not an assessment by an attorney and it does not predict what a government officer will decide.
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One hour with the attorney. $500, credited toward your legal fee if you engage this office within 90 days.
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