Trump Administration Plans Fee Increase for U.S. Citizenship Applications
The Trump administration has announced a proposal to increase fees for legal immigrants seeking U.S. citizenship. If approved, these changes will affect how much applicants pay and eliminate some financial assistance options.
Fee Changes for Citizenship Applications
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) plans to raise the fees for citizenship applications. Paper application fees will increase from $760 to $1,330, while online applications will go up from $710 to $1,280. Furthermore, the fee for asking USCIS to reconsider a denied citizenship request will rise by $645.
The plan removes fee waivers and reductions for applicants with household incomes at or below 400% of the federal poverty line. However, fee exemptions for service members will remain.
Public Comment Period
The changes are part of a proposed regulation and won’t take effect immediately. The public will have 60 days to submit comments on the proposal.
Reasoning Behind Fee Increase
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) oversees USCIS and stated that the fee hikes are essential for fully subsidizing the processing costs of citizenship applications. This is in response to the administration’s initiative to scrutinize applicants more thoroughly.
DHS pointed out that past administrations kept citizenship fees relatively low to encourage naturalization and integration. However, the Trump administration believes naturalization requests shouldn’t have lower fees compared to other immigration benefits.
Encouraging Naturalization
The U.S. government has historically promoted naturalization among eligible legal immigrants, primarily those who are legal permanent residents with green cards for either three or five years. Applicants must pass tests on English and civics, and meet other criteria, such as maintaining a clean criminal record.
Enhanced Vetting Efforts
Alongside fee increases, the Trump administration aims to further tighten access to immigration benefits by intensifying applicant vetting. There is a renewed focus on verifying applicants’ “good moral character” and the reintroduction of neighborhood checks.
There is also an aggressive expansion of denaturalization cases targeting foreign-born citizens accused of fraud or criminal conduct hidden in their applications.