United States proposes 75% hike for naturalization fees to 1,330 dollars

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security wants to push the standard naturalization fee to $1,330, a 75% jump that would also wipe out most fee waivers for civilian applicants.

A $570 jump on the path to citizenship

United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has published a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, "Naturalization Application Fee Adjustments," that would reset the cost of Form N-400. The paper filing fee would rise from $760 to $1,330 and the online fee from $710 to $1,280, per the draft Federal Register notice.

Appeals get hit harder. The Form N-336 fee for challenging a denied naturalization application would climb from $830 to roughly $1,475 on paper and from $780 to about $1,425 online, increases of 78% to 83%.

The proposal also scraps two relief tracks that low and moderate earners rely on:

• The $380 reduced N-400 fee for applicants earning under 400% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines.

• Almost all income-based fee waivers (Form I-912) for N-400 and N-336 filings by civilians.

Statutory exemptions for qualifying current and former U.S. military members stay in place. Nothing has changed yet , current fees of $710 online and $760 paper still apply and DHS is taking comments through Aug. 24, 2026. A final rule with an effective date would follow, possibly in late 2026 or early 2027.

What it means for green-card holders ready to naturalize

For a long-term resident who has been budgeting toward citizenship, the math shifts sharply. A couple filing together on paper would go from $1,520 to $2,660, a $1,140 increase for the same two applications. An applicant who would have qualified for the $380 reduced fee instead faces the full $1,280 to $1,330 , more than triple the current cost , with no waiver to fall back on if the rule is finalized as written.

Anyone already eligible has a window. Filing before the final rule takes effect locks in today's fees and the 60-day comment period is the formal channel to push back. The agency is required to read and respond to substantive comments before issuing a final version.

Long-term residents weighing the timeline can find more on U.S. status pathways in the United States nomad travel guide.