Becoming a U.S. citizen could soon cost far more. On June 23, 2026, the Department of Homeland Security published a proposed rule titled Naturalization Application Fee Adjustments in the Federal Register that would raise Form N-400 filing fees by roughly 75 to 80 percent and eliminate the reduced-fee and fee-waiver options that many lower-income applicants rely on today.
The proposed numbers:
- Form N-400 (Application for Naturalization): the online filing fee would rise from $710 to $1,280, and the paper filing fee from $760 to $1,330.
- Form N-336 (Request for a Hearing on a Decision in Naturalization Proceedings): the fee would jump to $1,475 for paper filings and $1,425 online — an increase of roughly 78 to 83 percent.
- Reduced fees and fee waivers eliminated. DHS would end the current $380 reduced-fee option for low-income applicants and remove fee-waiver eligibility for both the N-400 and N-336. For some green-card holders, that could mean paying more than three times what they pay today.
- Military exemptions kept. The rule preserves fee exemptions for qualifying current and former service members naturalizing under sections 328 or 329 of the Immigration and Nationality Act, because those exemptions are required by statute.
What it means for applicants. If finalized as written, the proposal would put naturalization out of easy reach for many working-class permanent residents — precisely the group the fee-waiver program was built to help. Immigration advocates are expected to submit extensive comments during the public comment period, which runs through August 24, 2026.
Importantly, this is only a proposed rule; the current fees remain in effect until a final rule is published. Green-card holders who are already eligible to naturalize may want to consider filing sooner rather than later, and anyone who currently qualifies for a reduced fee or waiver should weigh acting before the rule can take effect. Watch the docket closely, as the final fee schedule could differ from these figures.
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Source: Federal Register / DHS