Higher US Citizenship Application Fees Proposed
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has published a proposed rule that would increase the fees for applying for US citizenship and make significant changes to the financial assistance currently available to certain applicants.
Under the proposal, the filing fee for Form N-400, Application for Naturalization, and Form N-336, Request for a Hearing on a Decision in Naturalization Proceedings, would increase. DHS is also proposing to eliminate both the reduced naturalization filing fee available to certain lower-income applicants and the fee waiver process for these forms.
According to DHS, the proposed changes are intended to allow USCIS to recover the full cost of processing naturalization applications. The agency states that the current fee structure requires other immigration benefit requests to subsidize the cost of adjudicating naturalization cases.
The proposal has been published as a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM), meaning the changes are not yet in effect. A public comment period will run before DHS considers feedback and decides whether to publish a final rule. Until any final rule takes effect, applicants should continue to follow the current USCIS fee schedule and existing eligibility rules for reduced fees and fee waivers.
Proposed US Citizenship Application Fee Changes
The proposed rule would increase the filing fees for both naturalization applications and administrative appeals. DHS says the revised fees are intended to reflect the full cost of adjudicating these applications and reduce reliance on cross-subsidization from other immigration benefit requests.
The proposed fee changes are set out below:
| Form | Purpose | Current fee | Proposed fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Form N-400 | Application for Naturalization | $760 | $1,500 |
| Form N-336 | Request for a Hearing on a Decision in Naturalization Proceedings | $830 | $1,385 |
The proposed rule would also remove the current reduced filing fee available to certain applicants with household incomes above the fee waiver threshold but below a specified percentage of the Federal Poverty Guidelines. If adopted, all applicants who are not exempt under a statutory provision would generally be required to pay the full filing fee.
For many lawful permanent residents, the financial impact would therefore extend beyond the headline fee increase. Applicants who currently qualify for a reduced fee or a fee waiver could face a substantially higher cost to apply for naturalization if the proposal is finalized.
Elimination of Reduced Fees and Fee Waivers
One of the most significant aspects of the proposed rule is the removal of financial relief for applicants who cannot afford the full cost of applying for US citizenship.
Under the current rules, certain applicants may qualify for a reduced filing fee for Form N-400 if their household income falls within specified limits. Others may be eligible for a fee waiver if they can demonstrate financial hardship or meet one of the qualifying criteria set by USCIS, such as receiving a means-tested public benefit or having income at or below the applicable threshold.
DHS is proposing to eliminate both options for naturalization applications. According to the agency, applicants seeking US citizenship should bear the full cost of adjudicating their applications, rather than relying on subsidies funded through other immigration benefit requests.
If the proposal is adopted, most naturalization applicants would no longer be able to reduce or waive the filing fee based on their financial circumstances. The proposal would also remove fee waivers for Form N-336, meaning applicants seeking administrative review of a denied naturalization application would also be required to pay the full filing fee.
The proposed rule does not affect statutory fee exemptions that Congress has established for certain applicants. For example, qualifying current and former members of the US armed forces applying for naturalization under the relevant provisions of the Immigration and Nationality Act would continue to benefit from those exemptions.
For applicants who currently rely on reduced fees or fee waivers, the proposed changes would represent a substantial increase in the overall cost of becoming a US citizen.
NNU Perspective
The proposed fee increases are significant, but the removal of reduced fees and fee waivers could prove even more consequential. Naturalization has historically been one of the few immigration benefits where applicants facing financial hardship could access meaningful fee relief. If the proposal is finalized, cost may become a deciding factor in when, or even whether, many lawful permanent residents apply for US citizenship. Applicants who are already eligible to naturalize may therefore want to consider the timing of their application while the current fee structure remains in place.
