Reimbursement is relevant to the arrangement but does not decide the complete employment relationship.
Read the agreement beyond the travel line
Identify pay, supervision and the actual professional engagement. Keep travel reimbursement separate from government charges and any professional preparation fee.
Write down which party pays for legal review, credential evaluation, translation, travel and any filing costs, and whether reimbursement depends on the applicant starting or staying. Official charges come first: check current amounts on the USCIS fee schedule, Form G-1055, and on the relevant port-of-entry and consular pages, since figures quoted elsewhere go stale. An equivalency assessment of a degree, a state licensing application, an examination with limited sittings and any travel it requires, and professional advice all fall due before the application itself and are generally non-refundable. Beyond government fees, budget for a credential evaluation if the transcript is unusual, for an adviser's time to review the employer letter, and for translations if any document is not in English. Employers sometimes reimburse some of these charges; ask in writing which ones and whether reimbursement is conditional on a period of service, because a repayment clause becomes a personal debt if the placement ends early. Seeking admission at a port of entry concentrates spending in preparation and travel; an employer petition on Form I-129 adds filing steps the employer handles and, generally, more counsel time before anything is submitted.