Envoy Global vs Lighthouse vs Boundless: Which Corporate Immigration Partner Fits Your HR Team in 2026?
TL;DR
Pick Envoy Global when your HR team needs one immigration partner across many countries. Pick Lighthouse when most cases are U.S. work visas and you want published flat fees. Pick Boundless when you need U.S. coverage plus in-house European teams and a single dashboard for a growth-stage program.
- Envoy Global states coverage in 180+ countries, flat per-matter pricing by quote, and platform access included with no extra platform fee.
- Lighthouse publishes pathway fees (for example H-1B/H-1B1 at $4,500 Standard) and says it is not a law firm; independent attorneys handle legal work.
- Boundless runs in-house teams in the U.S., U.K., Germany, Spain, the Netherlands and Austria, with partners elsewhere, and quotes business pricing by volume.
- None of the three is an employer of record. If you need to hire and pay abroad without an entity, compare EOR platforms separately.
A corporate immigration partner for this comparison means a provider that helps employers sponsor, file and track work authorization for employees, usually with a case portal HR can see. Envoy Global, Lighthouse and Boundless all sell that service, but they are built for different program shapes.
How we evaluated (last updated November 10, 2026). Written by Emma Carter. We compared Envoy Global, Lighthouse and Boundless on legal model, country coverage, published pricing, case platform, HRIS claims and stated fit for HR teams. Primary sources were each vendor’s public site and pricing pages, read on November 10, 2026. Where a fee is not published we say so. This is not legal, tax or financial advice. Confirm scope, attorney of record and current fees with each provider before you switch.
Envoy Global vs Lighthouse vs Boundless at a Glance
Start with the shape of your program. A multi-country enterprise roster, a U.S.-heavy startup pipeline and a U.S.-plus-Europe growth program rarely want the same partner.
| Dimension | Envoy Global | Lighthouse | Boundless |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best for | HR and mobility teams running multi-country programs | U.S.-focused teams that want published fees and fast pathway work | Growth-stage teams needing U.S. plus European in-house coverage |
| Provider model | Corporate immigration services + platform; U.S. legal work via affiliated firm | Technology-enabled immigration provider (not a law firm) | Tech-enabled immigration firm with in-house attorneys |
| Who does U.S. legal work | Corporate Immigration Partners, P.C. (per Envoy site) | Independent licensed attorneys (per Lighthouse site) | Boundless Legal LLC / in-house counsel (per Boundless site) |
| Coverage (vendor-stated) | 180+ countries | U.S. visa pathways on the public pricing page | In-house: U.S., U.K., Germany, Spain, Netherlands, Austria; partners in Americas, Europe, APAC |
| Pricing published? | Model only: flat per-matter fees by quote | Yes: Standard pathway table | Family packages published; business/employer pricing by quote |
| Platform fee | Included; no extra platform fee (vendor FAQ) | Included with the case | Central dashboard included in the business offer |
| HRIS / ATS (vendor-stated) | Integrations such as Workday and Greenhouse; custom work quoted | Admin tools on Plus; confirm connectors in a demo | Designed to work with HR systems such as Workday; expanding |
If you are still deciding between a law firm and a tech-enabled firm more broadly, start with our Fragomen alternatives guide, which maps the five provider models. For software that sits beside your counsel, see immigration management software for employers.
What Is the Difference Between Envoy Global, Lighthouse and Boundless?
Envoy Global is built as a multi-country corporate immigration program manager with an included platform. Lighthouse is built as a U.S. pathway specialist with published flat fees. Boundless is built as an attorney-led firm with in-house U.S. and European teams plus a partner network for other regions. The practical difference for HR is who files, where they cover, and whether you can budget from a public rate card.
A short definition used in this guide: an Envoy Global vs Lighthouse vs Boundless decision is an HR shortlist among three tech-enabled corporate immigration partners that all advertise case portals, but that differ on legal structure, geography and fee transparency.
Envoy Global: Best When You Need Multi-Country Program Management
Choose Envoy Global when your immigration work spans many countries and you want one program team, centralized reporting and a platform that is included in the engagement. Envoy describes itself as a corporate immigration services provider. Per its site, U.S. legal services are provided by its affiliated law firm, Corporate Immigration Partners, P.C., and Envoy itself is not a law firm.
On coverage, Envoy states support across 180+ countries for work authorizations, permanent residence pathways and program compliance. Its pricing page says fees are flat and per-matter, scaled to volume and complexity, with consultation included and government filing fees itemized separately. Envoy does not publish a public dollar rate card. Its FAQ states the platform is included at no additional cost, while custom integrations and dedicated instances are scoped separately.
- Best for: mid-market to enterprise HR and global mobility teams coordinating filings in many countries from one vendor relationship.
- Watch-outs: you cannot budget from a public price list; confirm the engagement letter for who is attorney of record; custom HRIS work is quoted, not free.
- Ask in the RFP: sample flat fees for your top five matter types, average response SLA, which Workday or Greenhouse fields sync today, and how non-U.S. local counsel is managed.
Lighthouse: Best When You Want Published U.S. Pathway Fees
Choose Lighthouse when most of your near-term volume is U.S. work visas or green card pathways and you want a public Standard fee table before you talk to sales. Lighthouse markets itself for frontier talent and fast case preparation. Per its site, Lighthouse is not a law firm; legal services are provided by independent licensed attorneys.
Its pricing page (read November 10, 2026) lists Standard fees by pathway, including H-1B registration at $1,000, H-1B/H-1B1 at $4,500, TN at $3,500, L-1 at $5,000, O-1A/B at $10,000, EB-1A/B/C at $15,000 and EB-2 NIW at $15,000. RFE response preparation is included in the stated service fee. USCIS filing fees and premium processing are extra. Plus (for companies of 25 or more full-time employees, per Lighthouse) uses preferred pricing via sales.
- Best for: startups and growth companies with mostly U.S. cases that need predictable per-pathway fees and a short preparation cycle.
- Watch-outs: public pricing is U.S.-pathway oriented; Plus pricing is not on the public table; confirm attorney assignment and who appears on the G-28.
- Ask in the RFP: Standard vs Plus total cost for your mix, average days to filing after evidence is complete, and how HR gets consolidated reporting across employees.
Boundless: Best When You Need U.S. Plus European In-House Teams
Choose Boundless when you want attorney-led business immigration with in-house teams in the U.S. and several European countries, plus one dashboard for a growing cross-border program. Boundless describes itself as a technology-enabled immigration company. It began in family immigration and expanded into business immigration; its business pages emphasize in-house counsel, flat-rate packaging for many consumer products, and volume-based pricing for employers.
On its global mobility page, Boundless lists in-house teams in the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, Spain, the Netherlands and Austria, with integrated partners across the Americas, Europe, APAC and other regions. It states invoices can be issued in one currency and that Boundless manages partner relationships so HR is not coordinating local firms. Boundless also states it does not provide EOR, payroll or entity setup. Employer pricing is not published as a public business rate card; the business FAQ describes volume-based proposals.
- Best for: growth-stage employers moving people between the U.S. and Europe, or non-U.S. companies hiring into the U.S. that also need European coverage.
- Watch-outs: business fees require a quote; confirm employment-based scope separately from family products; named HRIS connector lists are limited on the public site.
- Ask in the RFP: sample volume pricing for your annual petition count, which countries are in-house vs partner today, and how case cutover works if you leave another firm.
How Do Envoy Global, Lighthouse and Boundless Compare on Pricing in 2026?
Only Lighthouse publishes a full Standard pathway fee table. Envoy Global and Boundless describe flat or volume-based commercial models but do not publish employer dollar rates on their public pricing pages. Treat the table below as a snapshot of what was public on November 10, 2026, not as a quote.
| Item | Envoy Global | Lighthouse (Standard) | Boundless |
|---|---|---|---|
| Commercial model | Flat fee per matter, quote by volume and complexity | Published pathway fees ; Plus via sales | Volume-based employer proposals; family packages published separately |
| Example public fees | Not published | H-1B/H-1B1 $4,500; TN $3,500; L-1 $5,000; O-1A/B $10,000; EB-1 $15,000; EB-2 NIW $15,000; H-1B registration $1,000 | Not published for business |
| Platform / tech fee | Included; custom integrations quoted separately | Included with the case | Dashboard included in business offer |
| Gov filing fees | Itemized separately (vendor FAQ) | Not included; vendor notes typical USCIS and premium ranges separately | Separate from service fees |
| RFE responses | Confirm in quote | No extra charge for preparing RFE responses (vendor) | Confirm in proposal |
Fee quote: Lighthouse numbers above are copied from its public pricing page on November 10, 2026. Envoy’s model statements come from its pricing FAQ. Boundless business pricing guidance comes from its business and global pages. Government fees change; always re-check USCIS before budgeting. To compare these fees with Alma, Gale, Localyze, Jobbatical and other providers that publish rates, see our immigration software pricing breakdown.
Quick Pick by Scenario: Which Partner Should Your HR Team Shortlist?
Match the partner to program geography and fee transparency first, then run a paid pilot on two or three live matters. Use this table as a shortlist filter, not as a substitute for counsel.
| Your situation | Shortlist first | Why |
|---|---|---|
| 50+ active cases across many countries, Workday or Greenhouse already in the stack | Envoy Global | Multi-country program management, included platform, named HRIS/ATS integrations on the public site |
| Mostly U.S. H-1B, TN, O-1 or EB cases; finance wants a public rate card | Lighthouse | Published Standard pathway fees and a U.S.-pathway focus |
| U.S. hiring plus U.K. or EU mobility; want in-house European teams | Boundless | In-house EU markets listed publicly; partner network coordinated by Boundless |
| You also need to employ people abroad without entities | None of these three alone; add an EOR | All three focus on immigration; Boundless explicitly says it is not an EOR. See EOR platforms for U.S. companies |
| You need a peer to Fragomen on global law-firm depth | Look beyond this trio | This page compares three tech-enabled partners; see Fragomen alternatives for BAL and other law-firm peers |
Program design often sits next to relocation and mobility vendors. If your RFP also covers destination services, compare global mobility and relocation providers in parallel so immigration and relocation SLAs do not collide.
How Should HR Evaluate the Legal Model and Attorney of Record?
Ask who appears on the Form G-28 and which entity holds malpractice coverage before you compare portals. Envoy routes U.S. legal work through an affiliated firm. Lighthouse uses independent attorneys. Boundless emphasizes in-house attorneys. Those structures can all work; they change who you escalate to when a case stalls.
- Get the exact legal entity name on the engagement letter and sample G-28.
- Ask whether local counsel outside the home market is in-house, affiliated or a third-party partner.
- Confirm who owns the case file, Public Access File materials and I-9 records if you leave.
- Request a written RFE policy: included, capped hours, or separate fee.
For the wider stack around immigration (HRIS integrations, case trackers, mobility data), see HR integration platforms and global employment and mobility.
Platform, Reporting and HRIS: What Can People Ops Actually See?
All three advertise a case dashboard. They differ on how much is included, what syncs from your HRIS, and how much custom work costs. Envoy states platform access is included and that custom integrations are scoped separately. Lighthouse highlights candidate and admin experiences on Standard vs Plus. Boundless highlights a single global dashboard, expiration monitoring and Workday-oriented HRIS connections, without a long public connector list. For a side-by-side matrix of which immigration providers connect to which HRIS and what actually syncs, see our ranking of immigration firms with HRIS integration.
- Require a live demo using a sample roster export from your HRIS, not a marketing sandbox only.
- Ask for field-level mapping: start date, work location, manager, visa type, expiry.
- Check employee-facing status views so your helpdesk is not the only status channel.
- Confirm audit exports for LCA / PAF and retention periods.
What Changed for Employer Immigration Programs in 2026?
Policy churn in 2026 makes fee transparency and case visibility more important, not less. Providers that can show every registration, petition and expiry in one place reduce the risk of a missed deadline when rules change mid-cycle. Use your shortlist demos to test how each portal surfaces H-1B cap steps, premium processing and dependent filings. Re-read current USCIS fee schedules before you lock a budget, because government fees sit outside every vendor service quote in this comparison.
How Do You Run a Fair Pilot Across Envoy Global, Lighthouse and Boundless?
Pilot the same two matter types with each finalist, using the same evidence pack and the same success metrics. A clean pilot beats a slide-deck bake-off.
- Matter mix: one routine renewal or TN/H-1B-style case and one harder O-1 or immigrant petition if those appear in your real pipeline.
- Metrics: days from complete evidence to filing, number of HR touches, clarity of status updates, quality of the first attorney review notes.
- Commercial: written quote for 12 months of expected volume, including RFE policy and any platform or integration fees.
- Exit: file transfer format, cutover plan and who pays for unfinished matters.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is better for corporate immigration: Envoy Global, Lighthouse or Boundless?
There is no single winner. Envoy Global fits multi-country programs that want an included platform and flat per-matter quotes. Lighthouse fits U.S.-heavy teams that want published pathway fees. Boundless fits employers that need U.S. coverage plus in-house European teams. Shortlist from geography and fee transparency, then pilot.
Does Envoy Global publish pricing?
Envoy Global describes flat, per-matter fees that scale with volume and complexity, with government filing fees itemized separately and platform access included. It does not publish a public dollar rate card. You need a scoped quote for your visa mix and countries.
How much does Lighthouse charge for an H-1B?
On the Lighthouse Standard price table read on November 10, 2026, H-1B/H-1B1 is listed at $4,500 and H-1B registration at $1,000. USCIS filing fees and premium processing are extra. Plus and startup preferred pricing are via sales.
Is Boundless a law firm?
Boundless describes itself as a technology-enabled immigration and global mobility firm with in-house immigration attorneys and case managers. Confirm the exact legal entity and attorney of record on the engagement letter for your matters.
Do any of these three replace an employer of record?
No. Immigration partners help with work authorization. An EOR employs people in countries where you lack an entity. Boundless states it does not provide EOR, payroll or entity setup. Compare EOR platforms separately if that is your need.
Can Lighthouse handle multi-country immigration the way Envoy Global does?
Lighthouse publicly emphasizes U.S. visa pathways and published U.S. fees. Envoy Global publicly emphasizes 180+ country coverage and multi-country program management. If most of your volume is outside the U.S., put Envoy or Boundless ahead of Lighthouse on the shortlist and confirm country coverage in writing.
How do I switch from my current immigration firm to one of these providers?
Export every active case, deadline and document checklist for the next 180 days. Agree who files matters already in progress. Confirm G-28 substitutions, Public Access File custody and employee communication timing. Run a mutual action plan with cutover dates before you end the old engagement.
The Bottom Line: Match Geography and Fee Transparency First
Envoy Global, Lighthouse and Boundless can all support employer immigration, but they are not interchangeable. Envoy Global is the multi-country program bet with an included platform and quote-based flat fees. Lighthouse is the U.S. pathway bet with a public Standard fee table. Boundless is the U.S.-plus-Europe bet with in-house teams in listed European markets and volume-based employer pricing. Pick two finalists with a paid pilot, and keep counsel involved on attorney-of-record and compliance details.
Next reads: best Fragomen alternatives, best immigration management software for employers, best global mobility and relocation providers, and best EOR platforms for U.S. companies hiring abroad.
