Trump Administration proposes 75% citizenship fee hike, raising cost to $1,330

The Trump administration proposed an increase in the citizenship application fee by 80% on Monday, May 22,

In addition to a fee increase, the officials have also decided to eliminate fee waivers and reduce rates for low-income immigrants seeking naturalisation.

According to the Department of Homeland Security, the cost of filing Form N-400 is set to increase from $760 to $1,330 for paper filings and $710 to $1,280 for online submissions.

This marks a roughly 75% increase in fees for mere paperwork. Moreover, the fees to appeal a citizenship denial would jump by approximately 78 percent, from $830 to $1,475.

Furthermore, the fee waiver process for citizenship cases will be eliminated, and immigrants who fall below 400 per cent of the federal poverty level will be able to pay just $380 for the service. The only exception to the fees would be active military personnel.

DHS, which oversees the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, said the fee hikes are necessary to cover the “full costs” of processing applications, including improved screening and vetting required by recent executive orders. In contrast to other federal agencies, USCIS is highly dependent on the funds collected through fees paid by applicants.

For now, the proposal is open for public comment over a 60-day window before any final rule is implemented.