The Department of Homeland Security has published a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking that would sharply raise the cost of applying for U.S. citizenship. The proposal appeared in the Federal Register on June 23, 2026 (91 FR 37500), and the public has until August 24, 2026 to submit comments.
The proposed fee increases:
- Form N-400 (Application for Naturalization): the paper-filing fee would rise to $1,330 (from $760) and the online-filing fee to $1,280 (from $710) — roughly a 75% increase.
- Form N-336 (Request for a Hearing on a Decision in Naturalization Proceedings): would increase to $1,475 (from $830).
Fee waivers and reduced fees would be eliminated. Perhaps the most consequential part of the proposal is that it would do away with the reduced-fee option and most fee waivers for the N-400. Today, lower-income applicants can request a fee waiver or a reduced fee; under the proposed rule, that assistance would largely disappear. Current and former members of the U.S. armed forces would remain exempt from naturalization fees under existing statutory provisions.
DHS’s rationale. The agency says the adjustments are intended to align filing fees with the actual cost of adjudicating these applications.
Why green card holders should pay attention. For the millions of lawful permanent residents who plan to naturalize, this is a direct, near-term cost increase. An applicant who might have paid $710 to file online could face $1,280 — and households planning to naturalize multiple family members would see the impact multiply. Because the rule is still a proposal, it is not yet in effect, and the fees only change if and when a final rule is published. Applicants who are already eligible and were considering filing may want to weigh doing so before any increase takes effect, and anyone who would have relied on a fee waiver should plan accordingly.
How to weigh in. Members of the public can submit comments on the proposed rule through the Federal Register listing before the August 24, 2026 deadline. Public comments are part of the formal rulemaking record and can influence the final outcome.
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Source: Federal Register / DHS (via LinkedIn — Ellen Freeman)