Legal preparation, premium processing if chosen, the chemist's relocation and housing, cross-border payroll and tax handling, and any state or safety certifications the U.S. facility requires of her. Government fees are on the USCIS schedule.
Budget the transfer as a project, with the petition as one line
Hypothetical example: the company budgets the USCIS fee and legal costs and is surprised by the rest. List it fully. Premium processing, where available, is a separate fee on the schedule. Relocation: travel, temporary housing, a vehicle and driver licensing in the state, and health coverage for the family. Payroll: whether the subsidiary or the parent pays her, how the intercompany charge is priced, and the tax consequences for her of residence in the United States, which accountants on both sides should model. Facility: any hazardous-materials handling or safety training the state or the insurer requires before she works on the line. Training: the U.S. crew's time while she trains them, which is part of the assignment's purpose. Put the plan in a written assignment letter stating who pays what and what happens if the petition is refused or the assignment shortens. The letter also supports the petition's description of the role and its temporary nature.
Hypothetical example: an industrial embroidery-machine company budgets a specialist's first year but omits the cost of ending the assignment if a product launch changes. The intercompany service agreement and assignment letter should allocate return travel, unused housing, payroll taxes, and the cost of preserving proprietary training records. Before that commitment, confirm by payroll and job records that the employee completed one qualifying year abroad in the three years before filing or admission. L-1B classification has a five-year maximum, which makes a multi-year budget a cap calculation as well as a cost calculation.