Updated
Updated · TIME · Jun 22
DHS Proposes 80% Citizenship Fee Hike to $1,330, Ending N-400 Waivers
Updated
Updated · TIME · Jun 22

DHS Proposes 80% Citizenship Fee Hike to $1,330, Ending N-400 Waivers

3 articles · Updated · TIME · Jun 22

Summary

  • $1,330 would become the new paper filing fee for U.S. citizenship under a DHS proposal, up 75% from $760, while the online fee would rise 80% to $1,280.
  • DHS said current naturalization fees do not cover the full cost of adjudication, screening and vetting, and argued applicants should bear those costs instead of other immigration forms subsidizing them.
  • The rule would also scrap reduced N-400 fees for households at or below 400% of federal poverty guidelines and end fee waivers, though current and former military applicants would keep exemptions.
  • The increases are not yet in effect and must clear the federal rulemaking process, including a public comment period, before they can be enacted.
  • The proposal marks a break from past administrations that kept naturalization fees lower to encourage citizenship, and critics say it could price some green-card holders out of applying.

Insights

What new security mandates justify the proposed steep hike in U.S. citizenship application fees?
Without financial aid, what are the hidden social costs of making citizenship unaffordable for legal immigrants?