The U.S. government has proposed increasing the fee for naturalization to obtain citizenship, potentially raising the cost to $1,330 [1].

This proposal represents a significant shift in the financial accessibility of the citizenship process. By removing supports for low-income applicants, the administration may create a higher barrier for legal permanent residents seeking full citizenship.

Under the direction of President Donald Trump, the Department of Homeland Security is seeking a fee increase that could be up to 80% higher than current rates [3]. The administration said the funds are intended to cover the costs of immigration services and provide funding for greater security controls [4].

As part of the regulatory process, the government has established a public comment period of 60 days before the new rule takes effect [4]. This window allows stakeholders and the public to submit feedback on the proposed changes to the fee structure.

The proposal specifically targets the elimination of exemptions for immigrants with low incomes [1]. Previously, these exemptions allowed eligible applicants to pay reduced fees, or waive costs entirely, to ensure that financial hardship did not prevent the legal path to citizenship.

The shift toward a higher-cost model reflects a broader strategy to ensure that immigration services are funded by the applicants themselves rather than through general taxpayer revenue. The Department of Homeland Security said the move is necessary to maintain the operational integrity of the naturalization process [4].

“The U.S. government has proposed increasing the fee for naturalization to obtain citizenship, potentially raising the cost to $1,330.”

The proposed fee hike and the removal of low-income waivers would transition the U.S. naturalization process toward a user-funded model. This change could disproportionately affect the most economically vulnerable legal residents, potentially slowing the rate of naturalization among low-income populations while increasing the budget for border and internal security operations.