Trump Administration Plans Citizenship Fee Increase and Policy Changes

The Trump administration announced a proposal to increase application fees for legal immigrants seeking U.S. citizenship by $570. This plan also aims to remove waivers and fee reductions for low-income applicants. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) proposed raising citizenship request fees from $760 to $1,330 for paper applications and from $710 to $1,280 for online submissions. Additionally, fees for requesting USCIS to reconsider a citizenship denial would rise by $645.

Fee waivers for citizenship cases would be eliminated, alongside a fee reduction option for immigrants with household incomes at or below 400% of the federal poverty line. However, fee exemptions would still apply to service members seeking citizenship.

These changes are not immediate. They are part of a proposed regulation that requires further steps in the federal government’s rulemaking process. The public has a 60-day period to submit comments regarding these changes.

According to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which oversees USCIS, the fee increases are necessary to cover the full costs of processing citizenship applications. The DHS highlighted that USCIS primarily depends on the fees it charges for funding. Previous administrations maintained lower fees for citizenship to encourage naturalization and integration. However, the Trump administration argues that naturalization benefits should not receive lower fees compared to other immigration benefits.

The U.S. government encourages legal immigrants to pursue citizenship, known as naturalization. Eligible individuals are generally legal permanent residents who have held a green card for three or five years. Applicants must pass an English and civics test and meet other conditions, including no serious criminal offenses.

The Trump administration has focused on restricting access to immigration benefits. It has implemented stricter vetting processes for applications, including a thorough review of the “good moral character” requirement. Moreover, there has been a revival of neighborhood checks, involving conversations with neighbors and coworkers of applicants.

The administration has also intensified efforts to denaturalize individuals accused of obtaining citizenship fraudulently or illegally. This includes investigations of concealed criminal conduct on applications as part of an expanded denaturalization initiative.