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Proposed N-400 fee rise and end of fee waivers: what the rule says

A DHS proposed rule (91 FR 37500, 23 June 2026) would raise the N-400 to $1,330 on paper or $1,280 online and end the reduced fee and fee waivers for the N-400 and N-336. It is PROPOSED and not in force. Its comment period closed on 24 August 2026; the fees in 8 CFR 106.2 ($760, or $380 at or below 400% of the poverty guidelines) apply until a final rule changes them.

Status as at 10 October 2026: PROPOSED, not in force. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) published a notice of proposed rulemaking titled "Naturalization Application Fee Adjustments" in the Federal Register on 23 June 2026 (91 FR 37500; DHS Docket No. USCIS-2026-0265; RIN 1615-AD08). The comment period ran to 24 August 2026 and has closed. As at 10 October 2026 the Federal Register shows the proposed rule and a notice correcting it, and no final rule. A proposed rule does not change what anyone pays: until a final rule is published, with its own effective date, the fees in 8 CFR 106.2 stay as they are.

Why this page exists: the search "N-400 fee increase" is already common, and the figures being quoted online mix three things together: the current fee, the proposal and the unrelated fee changes taking effect on 16 October 2026. This page separates them, works the arithmetic, and reports DHS's stated reasoning and its own cost estimates, as published.

It does not predict whether the rule will be finalized, in what form, or when. It does not advise anyone whether to file now or later. That is a decision for the applicant with a licensed attorney or DOJ-accredited representative, who can look at the facts, the eligibility rules and the cost.

What the proposed rule would change

The notice's own summary of the major provisions lists four changes: - "Adjust the fee for Form N-400 to $1,330 (paper filings) and $1,280 (online filings)", with the fee exemptions kept for military service members applying under section 328 or 329 of the Immigration and Nationality Act. This is proposed 8 CFR 106.2(b)(3). - Adjust the fee for Form N-336 (the hearing request after a denied N-400) to $1,475 on paper and $1,425 online, again keeping the military exemptions. This is proposed 8 CFR 106.2(b)(2). - "Eliminate the reduced fee for Form N-400 for aliens whose household income is less than or equal to 400 percent of the Federal Poverty Guidelines (FPG)." - "Eliminate eligibility for fee waivers for aliens filing Form N-400 or Form N-336." This is proposed 8 CFR 106.3(a)(3)(i).

The summary adds that DHS "is not proposing to change the $50 discount for filing Form N-400 and Form N-336 online pursuant to 8 CFR 106.1(g)". The stated purpose is to "recover the full cost of adjudicating the form". The notice says current and former armed forces service members "would remain exempt from paying the fees when filing for naturalization under statutes for members of the armed forces."

Only the N-400 and N-336 are in the proposal. The other citizenship fees in 8 CFR 106.2(b), such as the N-600 certificate of citizenship ($1,385) and the N-565 replacement document ($555), are not part of it.

The fees in force today

As the eCFR reads at 1 October 2026 (check the USCIS fee schedule, Form G-1055, before paying): - N-400, standard: $760 (8 CFR 106.2(b)(3)). - N-400, reduced fee: $380 for an applicant "whose documented household income is less than or equal to 400 percent of the Federal Poverty Guidelines". The paragraph says "The discount in section 106.1(g) does not apply to this section." - N-400, military: no fee for an applicant who "meets the requirements of section 328 or 329 of the Act with respect to military service." - N-336 hearing request: $830 (8 CFR 106.2(b)(2)), with no fee for a military applicant under section 328 or 329 whose application was denied. - Fee waiver: 8 CFR 106.3(a)(1) says "The party requesting the benefit must be unable to pay the prescribed fee" and gives three ways to show it: receipt of a means-tested benefit; household income at or below 150 percent of the Federal Poverty Guidelines; or extreme financial hardship. The N-400 and N-336 are both on the list of forms whose fees "may be waived without condition" in 106.3(a)(3)(i). 106.3(a)(2) adds: "There is no appeal of the denial of a fee waiver request."

The 16 October 2026 changes do not touch the N-400. The USCIS notice of that date lists four items: the annual asylum fee, the Form I-131 parole fee, initial Form I-765 for asylum, parole and TPS applicants, and the Form I-821 TPS fee. The related page on the October–November 2026 fee changes sets them out.

What the proposal would do to the numbers

Plain arithmetic from the figures above, treating the proposal as if it were final (it is not): - Standard paper N-400: $760 to $1,330, an increase of $570, or 75 percent. - Standard online N-400: the current paper fee less the $50 online discount in 8 CFR 106.1(g) gives $710; the proposal gives $1,280, also an increase of $570. - Reduced-fee N-400: $380 now. Under the proposal there is no reduced fee, so a filer at the $380 rate would face $1,330 on paper, a difference of $950. Reduced-fee filings are paper-only today: the notice says "a reduced fee Form N-400 can be filed only through paper submission." - Fee-waiver N-400: $0 now; the proposal would remove the waiver, so the figure would be $1,330 on paper or $1,280 online. - N-336: $830 now; $1,475 on paper under the proposal, an increase of $645. - Military applicants under sections 328 and 329: no fee now, and no fee under the proposal.

The notice also reports its own estimates of what changes in money. These are DHS's primary estimates, annualized: about $430,049,505 in transfer payments from current full-fee-paying applicants to USCIS, about $196,353,305 from applicants who would no longer be fee-waiver eligible, and about $16,730,450 from those who would no longer be reduced-fee eligible. The same notice estimates about $3,514,895 in opportunity-cost savings from applicants not needing to fill out Form I-912 or Part 10 of the N-400 for waived or reduced fees. These numbers are what the agency published; the notice itself says what assumptions sit behind them.

Why DHS says it is proposing this

The notice states its purpose as adjusting the fees "so that their fees recover the full cost of their adjudication, according to the beneficiary-pays approach to fee setting". It says "The current fees for Form N-400 and Form N-336 do not recover the full cost of thoroughly adjudicating applications for naturalization, including necessary screening and vetting checks". It also states a different view of the earlier policy: "DHS no longer believes naturalization benefit requests should get lower fees at the potential expense of other immigration benefits".

It cites executive orders from 2025 on vetting and screening, and says "DHS has already announced various changes to the naturalization process, which are expected to require additional resources for USCIS to process Form N-400 and Form N-336." And it argues that fees that do not recover costs, combined with waivers, "have led DHS to raise fees for other benefit requests to make up the difference."

The notice also gives history on the reduced fee, which is useful for judging how big the group affected is. It says the reduced fee was first set for households between 150 and 200 percent of the poverty guidelines, and that the 2024 fee rule raised the ceiling to 400 percent (the current 8 CFR 106.2(b)(3)(ii)). Using the notice's own data, reduced-fee filings were 0.3 percent of N-400 receipts on average in fiscal years 2019 to 2023 (an annual average of 2,878 out of 845,986), and 3.2 percent in the year after the 2024 rule took effect (32,344 out of 1,011,745 receipts, April 2024 to March 2025).

That is DHS's account. Commenters could and did argue other positions during the comment period, and the final rule, if one is published, will respond to them.

How the process works from here

The steps a proposed fee rule goes through are the same in outline for any rule, though the timing is not fixed: 1. Notice of proposed rulemaking. Published 23 June 2026. 2. Public comment. Closed 24 August 2026 (docket USCIS-2026-0265 on regulations.gov). 3. Final rule. If DHS goes ahead, it publishes a final rule in the Federal Register with an effective date, responding to comments. The final rule can differ from the proposal in amounts, scope, or exemptions. As at 10 October 2026, there is none. 4. Effective date. Until the date in the final rule, the current fee schedule stays in force. After it, the new schedule would govern. How forms already received, or forms mailed before and delivered after the date, are treated is something the final rule or USCIS instructions would state; the proposal does not settle it for this page.

Two general regulatory points are worth knowing whichever way the rule goes. First, 8 CFR 103.2(a)(7)(ii) provides that a benefit request "will be rejected if it is not" "Submitted with the correct fee(s)", and a rejected request "will not retain a filing date". Second, if USCIS accepts a filing and later finds the fee was wrong, the regulation says "USCIS may reject or deny the request." Paying the wrong amount, either way, has consequences beyond the difference in money.

The USCIS fee schedule (Form G-1055) and the N-400 page are the places to check which fee applies on the day of filing. The Federal Register search for "Naturalization Application Fee Adjustments" shows whether a final rule has been published.

What this page cannot tell you

Several questions people ask about this proposal cannot be answered from the text: - Whether and when it will be finalized. No source says. Treat any article claiming a date as a guess. - Whether a person should file before any change. That depends on eligibility on the filing date (see the page on N-400 eligibility), not just on fee timing. Filing before meeting the residence and presence rules, other than the 90-day early filing window in 8 CFR 334.2(b), puts the application at risk of denial. - Whether a particular household qualifies for the $380 rate or a waiver now. That depends on household size, income documents and the form's instructions. The page on the N-400 fee shows the 2026 poverty-guideline arithmetic. - What happens to someone with a pending hearing request. The N-336 follows a denial, and the deadline and process are set by the regulation, not by this proposal.

If money is the barrier, free and low-cost help exists. DOJ-accredited representatives at recognized non-profit organizations may help with naturalization, and the page on free immigration legal help explains how to check who is on the EOIR roster.

Finding a licensed attorney or accredited representative

Migratio's directory lists immigration attorneys and DOJ-accredited representatives. Listings are shown in a neutral order with factual filters (state, language, attorney or accredited representative). Migratio does not recommend, rank or match any lawyer, and it is not a lawyer referral service. Check any listing yourself against the state bar or the EOIR roster before you sign anything.

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Questions people ask

Is the N-400 fee going up to $1,330?

It is proposed, not decided. The proposed rule at 91 FR 37500 (23 June 2026) would set the N-400 at $1,330 on paper and $1,280 online. The comment period closed on 24 August 2026, and as at 10 October 2026 no final rule appears in the Federal Register. The fee in 8 CFR 106.2(b)(3) is still $760.

Will the N-400 fee waiver be eliminated?

The proposed rule would "Eliminate eligibility for fee waivers for aliens filing Form N-400 or Form N-336." It is not final. Today, 8 CFR 106.3(a)(3)(i) lists both forms among those whose fees may be waived without condition.

What is the reduced N-400 fee and would it end?

The reduced fee is $380 for an applicant whose documented household income is at or below 400 percent of the Federal Poverty Guidelines (8 CFR 106.2(b)(3)(ii)). The proposed rule would eliminate it. Until a final rule says so, it remains in the regulation.

Would military applicants pay the higher N-400 fee?

No. The proposal would keep the fee exemption for applicants under sections 328 and 329 of the INA, the military naturalization provisions. The notice says current and former service members "would remain exempt".

Does the 16 October 2026 fee change affect the N-400?

No. The USCIS notice for 16 October 2026 lists the annual asylum fee, the I-131 parole fee, initial I-765 for asylum, parole and TPS applicants, and the I-821 TPS fee. The N-400 is not among them.

Where do I check which N-400 fee applies?

The USCIS fee schedule (Form G-1055) and the N-400 page on uscis.gov. The Federal Register entry for "Naturalization Application Fee Adjustments" shows whether a final rule has been published. A request with the wrong fee can be rejected under 8 CFR 103.2(a)(7).

Sources

Last checked 2026-10-10.

Related guides

  • N-400 fee in 2026: $760, the $380 reduced fee and fee waivers — The regulation sets the N-400 fee at $760, or $380 if documented household income is at or below 400% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines (8 CFR 106.2(b)(3)). The fee can also be waived on the three grounds in 8 CFR 106.3(a)(1). Military applicants under INA 328 or 329 pay nothing.
  • N-400 eligibility: the 5-year rule, the 3-year rule and the 30-month rule — 8 CFR 316.2 requires five years of continuous residence as a permanent resident and 30 months of physical presence in the five years before filing. 8 CFR 319.1 shortens that to three years and 18 months for a spouse living in marital union with a US citizen for those three years. Applications may be filed up to 90 days early (8 CFR 334.2(b)).
  • USCIS fee waiver (Form I-912): which forms qualify and how it works — Only the fees listed in 8 CFR 106.3(a)(3) can be waived, and the green card petition for a relative (I-130) and advance parole are not on the main list. Inability to pay is shown by a means-tested benefit, household income at or below 150% of the poverty guidelines, or extreme financial hardship. A denial cannot be appealed.
  • USCIS fees, October 2026: every main form — As at 9 October 2026 the paper fee is $675 for the I-130, $1,440 for an adult I-485, $520 for a standard I-765, $750 for the I-751 and $760 for the N-400. Four fees rise on 16 October 2026, EB-5 fees change on 30 November 2026, and several changes are only proposed.
  • USCIS and immigration court fee changes, October–November 2026: what moves when — Fees change on three dates this autumn: EOIR court fees on 1 October 2026 (appeal to the BIA $1,060), four USCIS H.R. 1 fees on 16 October 2026 (annual asylum fee $105, parole fee $1,050, initial asylum/parole/TPS work permit $570, TPS $520) and EB-5 fees on 30 November 2026. The N-400, I-130, I-485 and I-751 fees are not among them. Several higher fees are only PROPOSED.
  • Free ($0) and low-cost immigration legal help: where it comes from — Legal help at $0 or low cost comes mainly from three official sources: EOIR's List of Pro Bono Legal Service Providers (for people in immigration court), DOJ-recognized non-profits with accredited representatives, and supervised law school clinics. Government filing fees usually still apply.
  • N-400 denied: the N-336 hearing, court review and filing again, as the regulations set them out — 8 CFR 336.2(a) lets an applicant ask for a hearing on a naturalization denial "within thirty days after the applicant receives the notice of denial." The request is Form N-336 ($830 today; a higher fee is proposed but not in force). If the denial stands, 8 U.S.C. 1421(c) allows review in a federal district court.
  • Do I need a lawyer to apply for US citizenship? — No rule requires one. The N-400 fee is $760 on paper, $380 at or below 400% of the poverty guidelines, and it can be waived. The core test in 8 CFR 316.2 is five years as a permanent resident with 30 months' physical presence, or three years and 18 months for a spouse living with a US citizen (8 CFR 319.1).