DHS Proposes 75% Fee Increase for U.S. Citizenship Applications, Eliminates Waivers

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) unveiled a proposed rule on Monday that would drastically increase the cost of applying for U.S. citizenship, raising the paper filing fee for naturalization by 75% to $1,330. The proposal, published in the Federal Register, represents one of the most significant price hikes for immigration benefits in recent history, signaling a major shift in how the federal government funds its immigration apparatus. Under the new fee structure, the cost of submitting Form N-400 online would also see a steep increase, jumping 80% from its current price of $710 to $1,280. The announcement comes as the Trump administration continues to reshape the legal immigration system, prioritizing stringent vetting and self-funded agency operations over historical efforts to encourage widespread naturalization.[1][2]

Beyond the base fee hikes, the proposed rule eliminates critical affordability measures that have historically helped lower-income immigrants access the naturalization process. Currently, applicants whose household income falls at or below 400% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines can utilize a reduced-fee option, allowing them to apply for citizenship for just $380. The DHS proposal would entirely scrap this tier, forcing all civilian applicants to pay the full price regardless of their economic circumstances. Furthermore, the rule eliminates all fee waivers for both naturalization applications and appeals. Previously, immigrants who could demonstrate severe financial hardship were permitted to file their paperwork at no cost. Under the new framework, those waivers will disappear, leaving only current and former members of the U.S. military exempt from the financial requirements of becoming an American citizen.[1][3]

The administration argues that the steep increases are necessary to transition U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to a 'full-cost, beneficiary-pays' model. Unlike most federal agencies, USCIS is almost entirely funded by the fees it collects from applicants rather than through congressional appropriations. In its regulatory filing, DHS stated that the current fee structure fails to cover the actual cost of thoroughly adjudicating citizenship applications. Officials pointed to the enhanced screening protocols, extensive background checks, and mandatory in-person interviews required by recent executive orders as primary drivers of the agency's rising operational costs. By forcing applicants to shoulder the full financial burden of their own vetting, the administration aims to prevent naturalization processing from draining resources that could be allocated to other immigration enforcement and adjudication priorities.[1]

The philosophical shift behind the fee hike was explicitly acknowledged in the text of the proposed rule. 'Although DHS has historically limited the fees for Form N-400 to fulfill previous administrations' priorities of encouraging naturalization, DHS no longer believes naturalization benefit requests should get lower fees at the potential expense of other immigration benefits,' the agency wrote. This marks a stark departure from decades of bipartisan consensus that viewed the integration of lawful permanent residents into the American electorate as a public good worthy of government subsidy. By removing that subsidy, the administration is effectively declaring that citizenship is a premium service that must pay for itself, rather than a civic milestone that the federal government should actively facilitate for all eligible green card holders.[1][2]

Immigration advocates and former government officials have sharply criticized the proposal, characterizing it as an intentional effort to build a 'wealth wall' around American citizenship. Doug Rand, a former senior USCIS official, argued that the sheer scale of the increase points to an ulterior motive. 'The only credible explanation for jacking up citizenship fees in isolation is that Trump 2.0 is in a hurry to create even more undue barriers for legal immigrants,' Rand stated following the rule's publication. Critics warn that by eliminating fee waivers and nearly doubling the base cost, the administration is deliberately pricing working-class immigrants out of the naturalization process, thereby preventing them from securing the right to vote, run for office, or access certain federal benefits.[1]

Aaron Reichlin-Melnick, a senior fellow at the American Immigration Council, echoed these concerns, noting the historical precedent being overturned. 'For generations, the U.S. government deliberately kept citizenship application fees low in an effort to encourage the millions of people with green cards to apply,' he explained. The financial burden extends beyond the initial application. The fee for appealing a denied naturalization application—filed using Form N-336—would also see a massive hike, jumping from $830 to $1,475 for paper filings. For a low-income family with multiple eligible permanent residents, the combined cost of applying for citizenship could easily exceed several thousand dollars, transforming a standard legal process into a prohibitive luxury.[2][3][4]

Despite the immediate backlash, the proposed changes will not take effect overnight. The publication of the rule in the Federal Register triggers a mandatory 60-day public comment period, during which advocacy groups, legal experts, and everyday citizens can submit their feedback to the government. Following the closure of this window in late August, DHS is legally required to review the submitted comments before it can issue a final, binding rule. This regulatory process typically takes several months, meaning the current fee structure—$760 for paper and $710 for online applications—will remain in place for the immediate future. However, immigration attorneys are already advising eligible clients to file their paperwork as quickly as possible.[1][3]

In the interim, legal service providers and community organizations are bracing for a massive surge in N-400 filings. Historically, whenever USCIS announces a pending fee increase, the agency experiences a flood of applications from immigrants rushing to beat the deadline. This anticipated spike in volume could temporarily exacerbate existing backlogs at USCIS field offices across the country, extending processing times for those who manage to file under the wire. For the hundreds of thousands of green card holders who currently rely on fee waivers or the reduced-fee option, the next 60 days represent a rapidly closing window to secure their American citizenship before the financial threshold is raised out of their reach.

The broader context of the fee increase ties directly into the administration's overarching immigration strategy, which has consistently sought to tighten the parameters of both legal and undocumented immigration. While much of the public focus has centered on border enforcement and deportation initiatives, the USCIS fee adjustments represent a quieter, bureaucratic mechanism for restricting access to the permanent benefits of the U.S. immigration system. By raising the financial stakes for naturalization, the administration can effectively cap the number of new citizens without needing to pass restrictive legislation through a divided Congress. This administrative approach relies on the agency's unique fee-funded structure to implement policy goals under the guise of fiscal responsibility.[1][2]

As the 60-day comment period begins, the battle over the naturalization fees is likely to shift toward the federal courts. Immigration advocacy groups have a long history of challenging USCIS fee rules, often arguing that the agency failed to properly justify the economic impact of its changes or violated the Administrative Procedure Act during the rulemaking process. If finalized in its current form, the rule is almost certain to face immediate requests for preliminary injunctions from states with large immigrant populations and civil rights organizations. Until a judge intervenes or the final rule is published, the looming price hike will continue to cast a shadow over the millions of lawful permanent residents currently weighing their path to citizenship.[1][3]