US plans steep citizenship fee hike; Indians among hardest hit

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has put forward a proposal that would substantially increase the cost for permanent residents to become American citizens. This move could impact thousands of Indian nationals who are eligible to apply for naturalization each year.

Under the proposed changes, the fee for Form N-400, the primary application for naturalization, would see a significant rise. For paper filings, the cost would jump from $760 to $1,330, an increase of 75%. Online applications would face a steeper hike, rising by approximately 80% from $710 to $1,280.

Furthermore, the proposal aims to eliminate the current reduced-fee option for lower-income applicants and will also remove fee waivers entirely for naturalization applications. Currently, individuals with limited financial means can apply for either a fee reduction or a complete waiver.


Also Read | US proposes 75% hike in citizenship application fee, ends fee waivers for naturalisation seekers

The DHS also plans to increase the fee for Form N-336, which is used by applicants seeking a hearing after their citizenship applications have been denied. The fee for paper submissions of this form would go up from $830 to $1,475, and for online filings, it would increase from $780 to $1,425.

Persons naturalised by country of birth: Fiscal years 2022 to 2024

Country of birth	2022 (number)	2022 (%)	2023 (number)	2023 (%)	2024 (number)	2024 (%)
Total	969,380	100.00%	878,460	100.00%	818,570	100.00%
Mexico	128,880	13.30%	111,460	12.70%	107,670	13.20%
India	65,960	6.80%	59,050	6.70%	49,700	6.10%
Philippines	53,410	5.50%	44,760	5.10%	41,200	5.00%
Dominican Republic	34,530	3.60%	35,220	4.00%	39,880	4.90%
Vietnam	33,250	3.40%	33,310	3.80%	34,240	4.20%
Cuba	46,910	4.80%	33,190	3.80%	33,430	4.10%
China, People's Republic	27,040	2.80%	30,750	3.50%	29,200	3.60%
El Salvador	21,450	2.20%	21,090	2.40%	21,940	2.70%
Jamaica	22,960	2.40%	20,190	2.30%	19,970	2.40%
Colombia	18,090	1.90%	17,090	1.90%	17,890	2.20%
Haiti	18,000	1.90%	16,100	1.80%	14,160	1.70%
Brazil	13,200	1.40%	12,980	1.50%	14,100	1.70%
South Korea	14,880	1.50%	12,330	1.40%	12,760	1.60%
Pakistan	18,010	1.90%	15,440	1.80%	12,380	1.50%
Nigeria	14,440	1.50%	13,530	1.50%	12,310	1.50%
Bangladesh	14,180	1.50%	12,640	1.40%	11,640	1.40%
Canada	12,570	1.30%	11,320	1.30%	11,290	1.40%
Venezuela	11,500	1.20%	10,860	1.20%	10,820	1.30%
United Kingdom	12,980	1.30%	10,990	1.30%	10,790	1.30%
Guatemala	10,910	1.10%	10,420	1.20%	10,760	1.30%
All other countries	376,250	38.80%	345,770	39.40%	302,440	36.90%

According to the DHS, these fee adjustments are intended to better reflect the agency's expenses in processing and adjudicating naturalization-related applications. The agency is currently accepting public comments for a period of 60 days. These comments will be reviewed before a final rule is implemented.

The move comes at a time when Indians continue to be among the largest groups obtaining U.S. citizenship. According to DHS data, 65,960 Indians were naturalised in FY2022, followed by 59,100 in FY2023 and 49,700 in FY2024. Despite the decline, India remained the second-largest source country for new US citizens in FY2024.

(With inputs from TOI)