Reimbursement does not decide the immigration treatment of the underlying activity.
Separate payment and permission
Describe the real tasks and compensation arrangement. Travel costs, recruiting expenses and government charges have different purposes; paying or receiving one does not establish authorization.
Costs depend entirely on which route, if any, fits the spouse's circumstances, and can include separate legal review, filing fees for the spouse's own application, and possibly credential evaluation. The state board sets its own licensing charges and the credentialing organisation sets the certification fee; neither is a U.S. immigration fee and neither appears in the USCIS schedule. Expect transcript and diploma fees from each institution, courier costs if originals must travel, and translation where documents are in another language. A first review should produce a payment map showing the filing or admission charge, translation work, credential evaluation if actually required, travel, and professional scope. For budgeting, distinguish credential evaluations, translations, professional help, travel and current government charges; consult the applicable official fee schedule instead of borrowing another applicant’s total. Ask what is included in each quote rather than assuming an employer’s relocation allowance covers all immigration expenses.