Trump Administration Proposes Significant Increase in Naturalization Fees and Related Filings

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has published a proposed rule that would significantly increase filing fees for U.S. citizenship applications and related naturalization filings. If finalized, the proposal would raise the cost of filing Form N-400 by as much as 80% and eliminate certain reduced-fee options currently available to lower-income applicants.

Proposed Fee Increases for Naturalization Applications

Under the proposed rule, applicants seeking U.S. citizenship through naturalization would face the following fee changes:

Form	Current Fee	Proposed Fee	Increase
Form N-400 (Online)	$710	$1,280	80%
Form N-400 (Paper)	$760	$1,330	75%
Form N-336 (Online)	$780	$1,425	83%
Form N-336 (Paper)	$830	$1,475	78%

The proposal reflects DHS's shift toward a "full-cost beneficiary pays" model, under which applicants would bear the entire cost of adjudicating naturalization requests. According to DHS, current fees do not fully cover enhanced vetting, background checks, and other adjudicative costs.

Reduced Fees and Fee Waivers Could Be Eliminated

The proposed rule would also eliminate:

• Reduced filing fees currently available to certain lower-income applicants;

• Fee waivers for Form N-400 naturalization applications; and

• Fee waivers for Form N-336 requests for hearing on denied naturalization applications.

Military-related exemptions would remain available.

DHS Signals Policy Shift

Historically, administrations of both political parties maintained relatively lower naturalization fees to encourage lawful permanent residents to become U.S. citizens. The current proposal represents a departure from that approach.

DHS stated that it no longer believes naturalization applications should receive lower fees at the expense of other immigration benefit requests.

Proposal Is Not Yet Final

These changes are currently part of a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking and have not taken effect. A public comment period will precede any final regulation, and the fees will not increase unless the rule is finalized.

Next Step for The Proposed Rule

DHS will accept public comments on the proposed regulation for 60 days following publication in the Federal Register. During this notice-and-comment period, individuals, organizations, and other stakeholders may submit feedback regarding the proposed fee increases.

Although DHS is required to give meaningful consideration to the public comments it receives, there is no minimum or maximum period for the agency's review of those comments.

After completing its review, DHS may publish a final rule in the Federal Register. If finalized, the regulation would typically become effective 30 or 60 days after publication, although the agency could establish a different implementation period.

Accordingly, the proposed fee increases are not yet in effect, and applicants may continue filing under the current fee structure unless and until a final rule is issued.

Practical Considerations for Green Card Holders

Lawful permanent residents who are already eligible to apply for naturalization may wish to monitor developments closely.

Depending on the timing of any final rule, filing sooner rather than later could help avoid substantially higher filing fees.