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DHS Proposes Steep Hike in U.S. Naturalization Fees

The agency says higher charges will make applicants pay the full cost of expanded vetting and the rule is now open for public comment.

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NEW YORK - MAY 14: A newly-naturalized American citizen poses for a picture with his papers after a naturalization ceremony at a U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services office May 14, 2010 in New York City. The New York office for U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services holds frequent naturalization ceremonies in its downtown Manhattan office where today 183 people from 51 different nations were sworn in as U.S. citizens. (Photo by Chris Hondros/Getty Images)
MOUNT VERNON, VA - MAY 21: New U.S. citizens Jamal El Harchy (R) from Morocco and Olesya Taylor (L) from Russia, look at their citizenship certificates at a ceremony May 21, 2007 at George Washington?s Mount Vernon Estate and Gardens in Mount Vernon, Virginia. The Senate today began debate on a compromise immigration reform bill which allows illegal immigrants to obtain a renewable ?Z visa? after paying a fine, after which they'd be able to get on track toward permanent residency. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)

Overview

  • The proposed rule, published Monday, would raise the Form N-400 naturalization fee to $1,330 for paper filings and $1,280 for online filings and increase Form N-336 appeal fees to $1,475 paper and $1,425 online.
  • Under the proposal USCIS would largely eliminate reduced fees and fee waivers for most applicants while preserving statutory exemptions for current and former U.S. military service members.
  • DHS says the increases are meant to recover the full costs of adjudication, including expanded background checks, biometrics and other vetting steps tied to recent executive orders, and it projects the change could bring in roughly $430 million a year.
  • Advocates and immigration experts warn that the higher fees and loss of waivers could create financial barriers that discourage lower-income lawful permanent residents and affect large immigrant communities, including many Indian applicants.
  • The rule is a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking subject to a 60-day public comment period ending around August 24, 2026, and DHS may revise or withdraw the proposal before any final rule takes effect.