DHS proposes fee increases and elimination of reduced/waived filing fees for Naturalization applications

‍On June 23, 2026, DHS published a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking to substantially increase the filing fees and eliminate the reduced and waived filing fees for naturalization applications. If enacted, the Proposed Rule would nearly double the N-400 Application for Naturalization’s general filing fee from $760/$710 to $1,330/$1,280 for paper/electronic filings, respectively. The Proposed rule would also eliminate the reduced filing fee and waived filing fee for income-eligible applicants. DHS claims that the filing fee changes would “recover the full cost of adjudicating the form while maintaining the fee exemptions for [certain] military service members.” However, this fee increase will likely become a significant barrier for many noncitizens to apply to naturalize, preventing them from becoming citizens when they are otherwise eligible.

The public may submit commits on the Notice for Proposed Rulemaking until August 24, 2026. Read the Proposed Rule or submit a comment here.