A new federal proposal would raise naturalization application fees by about 75% to 80% and end reduced rates for lower-income applicants.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
The Trump administration is moving to sharply increase the cost of applying for U.S. citizenship, proposing fee hikes that would nearly double naturalization costs for many lawful permanent residents.
The proposal, published Tuesday in the Federal Register, would raise the fee for a paper naturalization application from $760 to $1,330. Online applications would increase from $710 to $1,280.
The changes would amount to increases of about 75% for paper filings and 80% for online filings.
The administration is also proposing higher fees for applicants seeking a rehearing after their naturalization applications are denied. The cost of filing that request would rise from $830 to $1,475 for paper submissions and from $780 to $1,475 for online submissions.
The proposal comes shortly before the United States marks the 250th anniversary of its founding and has drawn criticism from immigrant advocacy organizations that say the increased costs could prevent some lawful permanent residents from completing the citizenship process.
Current rules allow applicants with household incomes up to 400% of the federal poverty level to qualify for a reduced naturalization fee of $380. The Department of Homeland Security is seeking to eliminate that reduced rate.
In its filing, DHS argued that applicants seeking citizenship should pay the full cost of the service. The department said that although naturalization is a unique benefit, that does not justify requiring other immigration-benefit applicants to subsidize discounted citizenship applications.
Immigrant advocates said the proposed fee hikes would create a major financial barrier for people who have already completed years of legal immigration requirements.
Murad Awawdeh, president and CEO of the New York Immigration Coalition, criticized the plan.
“For immigrants who have judiciously followed the required steps to become a citizen, increased fees are a burden and for some will effectively shut the door to attaining the promise of America,” Awawdeh said.
Allen Shao King, legal services director of the Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition, also questioned the timing of the proposal. He pointed to Congress’ recent approval of a $70 billion funding package for Immigration and Customs Enforcement and U.S. Border Patrol.
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services processes naturalization applications and other immigration benefits. The agency relies primarily on application fees to fund its operations, though Congress has at times provided additional funding for specific initiatives.
Large immigration fee increases have occurred under previous administrations, including during the George W. Bush administration. Researchers have found that past fee hikes affected naturalization rates among some immigrant groups.
The proposed rule is open for public comment through Aug. 24. Members of the public may submit comments electronically before the administration decides whether to finalize the changes.
If approved, the plan would significantly raise the financial threshold for citizenship applications and end the lower-cost option currently available to many lower-income applicants.
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