The cost of becoming a U.S. citizen could rise sharply under a new Trump administration proposal that would increase naturalization application fees, remove key financial relief for lower-income applicants, and make it more expensive to challenge a denied citizenship case.
We are looking at one of the most consequential citizenship fee proposals in years because it not only raises the filing fee for Form N-400, the main application for naturalization. It also changes who can realistically afford the final step from green card holder to U.S. citizen.
The Department of Homeland Security proposal, published in the Federal Register on June 23, 2026, would raise the paper filing fee for Form N-400 from $760 to $1,330 and the online filing fee from $710 to $1,280. That means applicants would pay $570 more whether they file online or by mail. DHS says the changes are designed to recover the full cost of processing naturalization applications, including expanded screening and vetting checks.
Key Facts About the Proposed U.S. Citizenship Fee Increase
The proposal is not final yet. It is a proposed rule under RIN 1615 AD08 and DHS Docket No. USCIS 2026 0265. Public comments are open through August 24, 2026, and DHS may revise, withdraw, or finalize the rule after reviewing feedback.
| Filing type | Current fee | Proposed fee | Increase |
| Form N-400 paper filing | $760 | $1,330 | $570 |
| Form N-400 online filing | $710 | $1,280 | $570 |
| Form N-336 paper filing | $830 | $1,475 | $645 |
| Form N-336 online filing | $780 | $1,425 | $645 |
| Reduced N-400 fee | $380 | Eliminated | Full fee required |
| Fee waiver for N-400 and N-336 | Available for qualifying applicants | Eliminated for most applicants | Full fee required |
The steepest practical impact may fall on applicants who currently qualify for reduced fees or fee waivers. Under the current system, some naturalization applicants with household income at or below 400 percent of the Federal Poverty Guidelines may qualify for a reduced $380 N-400 fee. Separately, applicants may request a full fee waiver based on low income, means-tested benefits, or extreme financial hardship. DHS proposes to end both forms of relief for Form N-400 and end fee waivers for Form N-336.
Why the Trump Administration Wants Citizenship Applicants to Pay More
DHS argues that the current naturalization fee structure does not cover the full cost of adjudicating citizenship applications. USCIS is primarily funded by filing fees rather than regular congressional appropriations, meaning fees paid by applicants help fund the agency’s operations. In the proposal, DHS says that lower fees for Forms N-400 and N-336 require USCIS to shift unrecovered costs onto people filing other immigration forms.
We should read this proposal as part of a broader shift in the administration’s view of naturalization. DHS says U.S. citizenship is the most meaningful immigration benefit the country can grant, and the agency wants the applicants seeking that benefit to carry the full cost of the process. That includes application review, background checks, vetting, fraud detection, and the administrative work behind each case.
The agency estimates that fee increases for Form N-400 and Form N-336 would transfer about $430 million annually from full fee-paying applicants to USCIS. DHS also estimates that ending fee waivers would transfer about $196 million annually from applicants who would otherwise qualify for waived fees.
What Changes for Green Card Holders Applying for Citizenship
For many lawful permanent residents, the new proposal would turn the final step toward citizenship into a much larger financial decision. A single applicant filing online would see the cost rise from $710 to $1,280. A married couple applying together online would pay $2,560 in filing fees. A family with multiple eligible adult applicants could face thousands of dollars in new upfront costs.
The current online discount would remain, but the discount would not soften the biggest blow. DHS says it is not proposing to change the $50 discount for online filing, so paper applications would still cost $50 more than online applications. The larger issue is that both filing methods would jump by the same $570 amount.
We also have to look beyond the first application. If USCIS denies a naturalization case, an applicant may use Form N-336 to request a hearing on the denial. Under the proposal, that paper filing fee would rise from $830 to $1,475, while the online filing fee would rise from $780 to $1,425. That means a denied applicant who already paid the higher N-400 fee could face another major charge to keep fighting the case.
Low-Income Applicants Would Lose the Biggest Safety Net
The most controversial piece is not only the headline fee hike. It is the proposed end of the reduced-fee and fee-waiver structure that has helped many lower-income green card holders pursue citizenship.
DHS says applicants can currently qualify for a fee waiver if they meet one of several standards, including household income at or below 150 percent of the Federal Poverty Guidelines, receipt of a means-tested benefit, or extreme financial hardship. The proposed rule would remove that path for Form N-400 and Form N-336. DHS states that applicants would have to pay the full proposed fee regardless of ability to pay, except for qualifying current and former armed forces service members whose exemptions are protected by statute.
The numbers show why this matters. DHS estimates that approved Form N-400 fee waivers affected a median of 146,901 non-military applicants across the time periods it analyzed. Those are applicants who, under the proposed rule, would no longer have the same fee-waiver path available to them. DHS also estimates a median of 17,611 approved reduced fee requests for Form N-400 among non-military applicants.
This is where the proposal becomes more than an agency budget story. For applicants living paycheck to paycheck, the gap between $0, $380, $710, and $1,280 is not symbolic. It can decide whether a person files this year, waits several more years, renews a green card instead, or never applies at all.
Why Form N-336 Matters More Under the New Fee Proposal
Form N-336 is not the most talked-about immigration form, but it becomes more important when naturalization scrutiny increases. This form is used when an applicant wants a hearing after USCIS denies Form N-400. In simple terms, it gives a denied applicant the chance to ask USCIS to review the decision through a hearing.
Under the proposal, the N-336 increase would be severe. A paper filing would rise by $645, from $830 to $1,475. An online filing would also rise by $645, from $780 to $1,425. That turns the appeal stage into a major financial risk for applicants who believe they were wrongly denied or who need to correct a misunderstanding in the record.
We should not treat this as a side issue. A naturalization denial can involve English or civics testing, residency questions, tax issues, criminal history, child support problems, Selective Service registration, travel history, or findings on good moral character. When the cost of a review rises, some applicants may decide they cannot afford to challenge a denial, even when they believe they have a valid case.
Denaturalization Push Adds Pressure to the Citizenship Debate
The fee proposal also comes during a period of more aggressive denaturalization efforts. In June 2026, the Justice Department announced actions seeking to strip citizenship from 17 naturalized citizens accused of serious offenses and alleged fraud connected to the naturalization process. The department described the cases as part of its effort to protect the integrity of citizenship.
Denaturalization is legally different from raising application fees, but the two issues now sit inside the same political conversation. One side argues that citizenship should involve deeper screening, full cost recovery, and stronger enforcement against fraud. The other side argues that the government is erecting financial and procedural barriers that make it harder for lawful permanent residents who have already lived, worked, paid taxes, and built families in the United States to become citizens.
The legal reality is that naturalized citizens still have due process rights, and denaturalization generally requires action in federal court. Still, the renewed focus on revoking citizenship for fraud sends a clear message to current applicants. The government is not only charging more to enter the citizenship process. It is also placing more weight on the accuracy, honesty, and reviewability of everything inside the file.
The Bigger Question: Is Citizenship Becoming a Premium Benefit?
This proposal forces a larger national question. Is naturalization mainly a civic milestone for eligible lawful permanent residents, or is it a premium immigration benefit that applicants should pay for at full cost?
DHS is taking the second view. Its proposal says the people receiving the benefit should pay the full cost of adjudication. That argument is especially powerful within a fee-funded agency like USCIS, where lower fees for one form can shift costs onto other applicants.
But the first view remains just as important. Citizenship is not only a document. It is the right to vote, serve on a jury, run for many public offices, obtain stronger protection from deportation, petition for certain relatives, and fully participate in American civic life. When the price rises sharply, the burden does not fall evenly. It falls hardest on working families, elderly applicants, refugees, disabled applicants who do not qualify for separate exemptions, and green card holders in high-cost cities.
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