OPT to H1-B

I am an international student currently on OPT. The practical training year ends Feb 15, 2009 and I already have an employer willing to sponsor my H1-B visa. I have been reading the forum and I have a couple of questions.

1) From what I have read the DOL states that the employer is responsible for all attorney's fees regarding the H1-B filing. Has this changed? Since I saw the regulation was from 2000 has it suffered any changes?

2) What's the average cost for this process? I have an appointment with an attorney next week and I would like to know the average cost of the whole process.

3) In my case (I have been studying in the US for the last 5 years and a half) my best option is obtaining the H1-B so I can stay?. Is there any other option? If I am not mistaken since I have been here so long I remember there were other options too.

Thanks a lot for your help. It is very appreciated!

If you choose to hire your own lawyer, you have to pay your own laywer's fees, if that's what you're asking. Your lawyer can tell you what your lawyer will charge - we can't. What other visas do you think you might qualify to obtain?

Thanks a lot for your reply Mr. Knowitall! I already talked to my lawyer and he said my best option was to apply for an H3 visa. He said that while on the H3 i could either apply for an H1 (Oct 2009) or while on the H3 visa I could apply for the green card.

As far as I know the H3 visa is a training program where you stay 2 years in the country for a research purpose. My concern is that from what I have read once you finish the training you have to go back to your home country or any other country and wait for at least 6 months before entering the country again.

Is the strategy that my lawyer advised me a wise one? Can I transfer from the H3 to H1 after a period of time? Or can I apply for the green card without having to leave the country?

Thanks a lot for your help, it's really appreciated.

I have no basis to second-guess your lawyer.