For millions of immigrants hoping to become U.S. citizens, a new proposal from the Trump administration could make the path to naturalization considerably more expensive.
On June 22, the administration published a proposed rule that would increase the filing fee for U.S. citizenship applications by approximately 75 percent. According to the proposal posted in the Federal Register, the standard naturalization application fee would rise from $760 to $1,330, requiring applicants to pay an additional $570.
The proposal would also sharply increase the cost of appeals. Fees for filing a motion or appeal before immigration review authorities would rise from $830 to $1,475—an increase of nearly 78 percent.
The proposed rule is now subject to a 60-day public comment period before it can be finalized and implemented.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) argues that the current fee structure no longer covers the actual cost of processing and adjudicating citizenship applications. Officials say that enhanced screening and vetting procedures, introduced under recent executive orders, have significantly increased operational expenses.
Unlike many federal agencies, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) receives virtually no funding from taxpayer dollars and relies primarily on application fees to finance its operations.
The proposal contains another major change: the elimination of most fee-waiver programs that have traditionally helped low-income applicants. Current and former members of the U.S. military would remain exempt from the new fees.
Immigration advocates and legal experts have expressed concern about the impact of the proposed changes.
Rosanna Berardi, an immigration attorney based in Buffalo, New York, criticized the move, saying, “Raising fees, eliminating waivers, and adding new layers of scrutiny all at once does not simplify the system—it builds new barriers from within.”
The Trump administration has already implemented stricter review measures for green card and citizenship applicants, including expanded social media screening, neighborhood verification efforts, and more rigorous examinations of an applicant’s “good moral character.”
Obtaining U.S. citizenship has long been a lengthy and demanding process. Most applicants must first qualify for lawful permanent residency, often through family sponsorship, employment, or marriage to a U.S. citizen. They must then undergo extensive background checks, attend interviews, and pass English and civics examinations before becoming eligible for naturalization.
Critics argue that the proposed fee increases would place an additional financial burden on immigrants who have already spent years navigating a complex immigration system. Supporters, however, contend that higher fees are necessary to ensure thorough security screening and to keep the nation’s immigration system financially sustainable.
If approved, the new fee structure would represent one of the most significant increases in the cost of obtaining U.S. citizenship in recent years, potentially affecting hundreds of thousands of future applicants.
