The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has proposed a major increase in filing fees for naturalisation applications, including a rise in the cost of Form N-400. The proposal, published ahead of its Federal Register notice, suggests raising the fee from $760 to $1,330, marking a 75% increase.
The plan also removes reduced-fee options and fee waivers for eligible applicants, according to the proposal.
Fee structure revision under review
According to the DHS proposal, the revised fee structure aims to align application charges with the cost of processing immigration cases. The changes also extend to other related filings, including Form N-336, which is used to request a hearing after a naturalisation denial. The fee for this form would rise to $1,475 from $830.
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The proposal also eliminates existing financial relief measures. These include the reduced-fee option for applicants earning below 400% of the federal poverty guidelines and all fee waiver provisions linked to Form N-400 and Form N-336.
The department said the revision is intended to reflect adjudication costs across the immigration system.
Public consultation process begins
DHS has clarified that the proposed fee changes are not yet final and will not affect current applicants immediately. The rule must first complete the federal rulemaking process, including a public consultation period.
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USCIS will accept public feedback for 60 days after the proposal is published in the Federal Register. Final decisions will be made after reviewing stakeholder responses.
Under the current system, applicants continue to pay existing fees until any new rule is formally adopted and implemented.
