Trump administration proposes 75% increase in US citizenship application fees
Applying for United States citizenship could become significantly more expensive under a new regulatory framework proposed by the Trump administration on Monday.
The proposal, published in the Federal Register, details a plan to raise naturalization application costs by 75%. Following a mandatory public comment window, the adjusted fee structure could go into effect in as little as 60 days.
Under the Department of Homeland Security’s plan, the standard paper filing fee for citizenship would jump from $760 to $1,330—a direct increase of $570. Additionally, the financial cost to request a formal reconsideration before an immigration appeals board would climb from $830 to $1,475, representing a 77.7% spike.
The draft regulation also aims to dismantle the vast majority of existing low-income fee waivers. However, exemptions would remain intact for active-duty service members and military veterans.
Immigration attorneys and advocates argue that the policy change aligns with the administration's broader objective to curtail legal immigration channels by making them intentionally more expensive and difficult to navigate. Critics note that combining steep fee increases with the elimination of waivers and the introduction of intensive new vetting layers—such as neighborhood inquiries and heightened "good moral character" evaluations—effectively creates bureaucratic barriers rather than optimizing the system.
Conversely, the draft proposal defends the pricing adjustment by arguing that existing fees fail to cover the actual operating costs required to thoroughly evaluate naturalization requests. The administration emphasizes that the increased revenue is necessary to fund enhanced screening and vetting procedures mandated by executive directives. Unlike many federal agencies, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services operates primarily on processing fees rather than taxpayer dollars.
The proposed hike follows a series of administrative actions designed to tighten oversight for both green card applicants and citizenship hopefuls, including mandatory social media screenings. Obtaining U.S. citizenship remains a rigorous, multi-year process that demands lawful permanent residency, comprehensive criminal background checks, an in-person interview, and a formal civics examination.
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