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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.

People searching "N-400 fee" usually want one of three numbers: the standard fee, the reduced fee, or whether the fee can be waived. The regulation gives all three, and they are linked: which one applies depends on household income and, for a waiver, on benefits received or hardship.

This page sets out what 8 CFR 106.2 and 106.3 say as at 9 October 2026, shows the 2026 poverty-guideline arithmetic worked through, and lists the other naturalization fees that tend to appear after the N-400 (a hearing request after a denial, a replacement certificate). It does not tell you which fee applies to you. That depends on documents only you, an attorney or a DOJ-accredited representative can read against the form instructions.

None of the fees on this page change on 16 October 2026. The USCIS notice for that date lists four changes: the annual asylum fee, the I-131 parole fee, initial I-765 applications for asylum, parole and TPS applicants, and the I-821 TPS fee. The N-400 is not among them.

The three N-400 fees in the regulation

8 CFR 106.2(b)(3) sets the fee for Form N-400, Application for Naturalization, at $760, with two exceptions written into the same paragraph:

  1. Military service. "No fee is charged an applicant who meets the requirements of section 328 or 329 of the Act with respect to military service."
  2. Lower income. "The fee for an applicant whose documented household income is less than or equal to 400 percent of the Federal Poverty Guidelines: $380." The same sentence adds that the general online-filing discount in section 106.1(g) does not apply to this reduced fee.

A third route sits in 8 CFR 106.3. The N-400 appears in the list of fees that "may be waived without condition" (106.3(a)(3)(i)). A waiver is a different thing from the reduced fee: it removes the fee entirely, and it has its own eligibility tests.

| Situation | Fee | Where it is written | |---|---|---| | Standard (paper) | $760 | 8 CFR 106.2(b)(3) | | Documented household income at or below 400% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines | $380 | 8 CFR 106.2(b)(3)(ii) | | Military service under INA 328 or 329 | No fee | 8 CFR 106.2(b)(3)(i) | | Fee waiver granted | No fee | 8 CFR 106.3(a) |

Online filing. Section 106.1(g) says that, "unless otherwise provided in this part, the fee for forms filed online with USCIS, using the electronic system prescribed by USCIS, will be an amount that is $50 lower than the fee prescribed in § 106.2." Read with 106.2(b)(3), that points to $710 for an online filing at the standard rate, and the regulation expressly withholds the discount from the $380 rate. Whether an N-400 can be filed online, and the exact amount charged, is shown on the USCIS form page and the G-1055 fee schedule, which are the documents to check before paying. The figures on this page come from the regulation text.

How the 400% test works, with 2026 numbers

The reduced fee turns on "documented household income" compared with the Federal Poverty Guidelines. 8 CFR 106.1(f)(4) defines the guidelines as "the poverty guidelines updated periodically in the Federal Register by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services".

The HHS 2026 guidelines were published at 91 FR 1797 on 15 January 2026. For the 48 contiguous states and the District of Columbia they read:

| Household size | 100% | 150% (waiver test) | 400% (reduced-fee test) | |---|---|---|---| | 1 | $15,960 | $23,940 | $63,840 | | 2 | $21,640 | $32,460 | $86,560 | | 3 | $27,320 | $40,980 | $109,280 | | 4 | $33,000 | $49,500 | $132,000 |

For more than eight people HHS adds $5,680 per additional person. Alaska and Hawaii have their own, higher tables on the HHS page. The percentage columns are our arithmetic from HHS's 100% figures, not numbers published by USCIS.

Three points that the arithmetic does not settle:

  • Which table USCIS applies. The regulation says "updated periodically", and the form instructions say which edition applies to a filing. For the separate Form I-864 rules, 8 CFR 213a.1 says USCIS begins using updated guidelines "on the first day of the second month after the date the guidelines are published". For the 15 January 2026 guidelines that rule would give 1 March 2026. Whether the N-400 instructions follow the same timing is a question for the form instructions.
  • What counts as the household and its income. "Documented household income" is not defined in Part 106. The form instructions and the evidence list there decide which people and which income sources count.
  • The figure is a ceiling, not a target. The $380 rate applies at or below 400%. Income one dollar above the line puts the filing back at $760.

An applicant who gets this wrong risks more than the difference. Under 8 CFR 103.2(a)(7)(ii)(D) a benefit request is rejected if it is not "submitted with the correct fee(s)", and a rejected request "will not retain a filing date". If USCIS accepts the filing and later finds the fee was wrong, it "may reject or deny the request".

The fee waiver: three ways to show inability to pay

8 CFR 106.3(a)(1) says the party requesting the benefit "must be unable to pay the prescribed fee". A person shows that by establishing at least one of these:

  1. receipt of a means-tested benefit at the time of filing;
  2. household income at or below 150 percent of the Federal Poverty Guidelines at the time of filing; or
  3. "extreme financial hardship due to extraordinary expenses or other circumstances that render the individual unable to pay the fee."

"Means-tested benefit" is defined in 8 CFR 106.1(f)(3): a public benefit where the granting agency "considers income and resources", which "may be federally, state, or locally funded". The definition adds that, in general, a benefit "granted based on income" counts as means-tested. Which specific programs USCIS accepts is for the form instructions.

How to ask. 8 CFR 106.3(a)(2) requires "a written request for permission to have their request processed without payment of a fee with their benefit request". The request must state the person's belief that they are entitled to or deserving of the benefit, the reasons for inability to pay, and evidence supporting those reasons. USCIS provides a form for this; the regulation itself describes the contents rather than the form number.

What the regulation says about a refusal. "There is no appeal of the denial of a fee waiver request." A person who files a waiver request that is not granted therefore has no appeal route inside the regulation. Whether a denied waiver leads to a rejected N-400 or an opportunity to pay is handled in USCIS's procedures, and that is worth knowing before filing.

Waiver or reduced fee? The two are separate mechanisms with separate tests. The 150% test for a waiver sits well below the 400% test for the reduced fee. For a household of three in the 48 states in 2026, that is $40,980 against $109,280 on our arithmetic.

What the N-400 fee does not include, and what comes after it

The $760 or $380 pays for the application. The regulation lists other naturalization-side fees separately (8 CFR 106.2(b)):

| Form | Purpose | Fee | |---|---|---| | N-336 | Hearing on the denial of an N-400 | $830 (no fee for a denied military-service applicant under INA 328 or 329) | | N-565 | Replacement naturalization or citizenship document | $555 (no fee when correcting an error under 8 CFR 338.5(a)) | | N-470 | Preserve residence for naturalization while abroad | $420 | | N-300 | Declaration of intention | $320 | | N-648 | Medical certification for a disability exception to the English and civics tests | No fee |

The N-336 deadline. 8 CFR 336.2(a) allows a hearing request "within thirty days after the applicant receives the notice of denial". A request filed late "must be rejected as improperly filed", and "any filing fee will not be refunded" (336.2(c)(2)(i)). USCIS must then schedule the review hearing "within a reasonable period of time not to exceed 180 days" from filing (336.2(b)). A denial therefore means a second $830 fee on a 30-day clock.

Refunds. Part 106 contains no general refund right for an N-400 that is denied. 8 CFR 106.1(e) adds that fees paid by credit or debit card "are not subject to dispute, chargeback, forced refund, or return to the cardholder for any reason except at the discretion of USCIS". The Part 106 refund rules that do exist concern premium processing and certain records requests, not naturalization. Before paying, it helps to read the eligibility tests the fee is buying a decision on.

The eligibility tests are separate from the fee. 8 CFR 316.2 and 319.1 set the residence and presence requirements, and they decide whether the application can succeed. Our guide on whether you need a lawyer for citizenship sets out the five-year and three-year rules, the 30-month and 18-month presence requirements and the points where applications run into trouble. Paying the fee does not reduce any of those requirements.

Where fee mistakes happen

The regulation text points to a handful of places where fee questions go wrong.

  • Paying $760 when the reduced rate applied, or $380 when it did not. The first costs $380. The second can lead to rejection under 103.2(a)(7)(ii)(D), a lost filing date, and a delay while the application is re-prepared.
  • Treating the poverty guideline as the filing-year table without checking. The HHS table changes every January, and the form instructions say which table applies.
  • Assuming a waiver is automatic. The regulation requires a written request with evidence, and there is no appeal from a refusal.
  • Missing the 30-day N-336 window. The fee for a late request is not refunded.
  • Dishonored payments. 8 CFR 106.1(c) says that if a payment "is not honored", no receipt will be issued, and a receipt already issued "is void and the benefit request loses its receipt date". 103.2(a)(7)(ii) adds that a financial instrument dishonored a second time may lead to rejection or denial.
  • Foreign bank accounts. 8 CFR 106.1(b) requires fees to be "remitted from a bank or other institution located in the United States and payable in U.S. currency".

Who may help with this. Preparing papers for others in an immigration matter is representation if it includes advice. Under 8 CFR 292.1 only attorneys, DOJ-accredited representatives of recognized non-profits and a short list of others may represent people before USCIS. USCIS's own guidance says notaries "are not attorneys and cannot represent you in legal matters, including immigration cases", and that others can charge only a nominal fee for the limited help they may lawfully give. A person who tells you which fee you qualify for, or whether to file, is giving advice.

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.

See attorneys and accredited representatives in the directory.

Notaries public, notarios and immigration consultants are not lawyers and cannot give immigration legal advice. Only a licensed attorney or a DOJ-accredited representative can.

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Questions people ask

How much is the N-400 fee in 2026?

8 CFR 106.2(b)(3) sets it at $760. It is $380 if documented household income is at or below 400% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines, and nothing for applicants under INA 328 or 329 (military service). The online-filing discount in 8 CFR 106.1(g) is $50 where it applies. Check the USCIS form page before paying.

Can the N-400 fee be waived?

The N-400 is on the list of fees that may be waived without condition (8 CFR 106.3(a)(3)(i)). The applicant must show inability to pay through a means-tested benefit, household income at or below 150% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines, or extreme financial hardship, and must make a written request with evidence. There is no appeal if the request is denied.

What is the N-400 fee reduction income limit?

400% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines. On the HHS 2026 table for the 48 contiguous states, 100% is $15,960 for one person and $27,320 for three, so 400% works out to $63,840 and $109,280. Alaska and Hawaii use higher tables. Which table and which income count are set by the form instructions.

Is the N-400 fee going up on 16 October 2026?

The USCIS notice for that date lists four fees: 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 on it. The regulation text read on 9 October 2026 shows $760.

What if my N-400 is denied and I want a hearing?

Form N-336 costs $830 and must be filed within 30 days after you receive the denial notice (8 CFR 336.2(a)). A late request is rejected and the fee is not refunded.

Sources

Last checked 2026-10-09.

Related guides

  • 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).
  • 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.
  • Form I-765 fee 2026: $520, $260, $570 or no fee — The standard paper fee for Form I-765 is $520 (8 CFR 106.2(a)(44)). It is $260 with a pending I-485 filed with a fee after 1 April 2024, some groups pay nothing, and a statutory fee applies to initial asylum, parole and TPS work permits, rising from $560 to $570 on 16 October 2026.
  • How much does an immigration lawyer cost? — There are two bills: the lawyer's fee, which each lawyer sets (flat, hourly or per consult) and must explain to you, and the government filing fees, which are fixed by regulation. A marriage green card filed inside the US, for example, carries $2,115 in USCIS fees for the I-130 and I-485 alone, before any lawyer's fee.
  • Who can legally give US immigration advice? — Attorneys in good standing and DOJ-accredited representatives of recognized non-profits can advise and represent you; a few narrow categories can appear unpaid. Notaries, notarios and immigration consultants cannot give immigration legal advice. Form preparers may only fill in blanks for a nominal fee.
  • 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.