It depends on who holds them. Retrieval from a current payroll provider is usually inexpensive; reconstruction from an accountant's archive, or from records held by a company that no longer exists, is where cost and delay appear. Establish what exists before commissioning anything.
Scope the retrieval before agreeing a price
Ask first what the qualifying year actually requires, which is one continuous year within the three years before the petition. Six years of records may be interesting but only a defined window is necessary, and paying for the rest buys nothing. Then ask each holder what it can produce and in what form: a payroll register, a record of employment, a signed statement of employment dates. Separate the cost of copying existing records from the cost of a professional preparing a new explanation, which is a different service with a different value. Government charges for the petition itself follow the published fee schedule and should be confirmed at filing rather than estimated. Keep those three lines apart in the budget so that a large retrieval invoice is not mistaken for progress on eligibility.
Hypothetical example: A robotics assembler is transferred to lead a newly acquired division, and the companies must obtain archived payroll records from two jurisdictions. The first review produces a cost ledger that distinguishes government filing charges, document retrieval, translations, courier delivery, and professional scope. Corporate records may require certified copies or formal legalization, while payroll evidence may need an employer declaration explaining payroll codes. Do not buy expedited services before confirming which records actually prove the qualifying relationship and foreign role. Extension planning also matters: L-1A total time is limited to seven years, so a budget that assumes indefinite renewals is not realistic. Keep receipts and confirmation numbers with the evidence index.