Trump Administration Proposes Sharp Fee Hike For U.S. Citizenship Applications
The Trump administration publicly unveiled a proposal to sharply raise U.S. citizenship application fees, CBS News reported on Monday, June 22, 2026.[1]
Under the plan, the naturalization fee would rise to $1,280 for online filings and $1,330 for paper filings.[2] It would also eliminate most fee waivers and reduced-fee options for low-income applicants.[2]
In July 2025, Congress passed and President Trump signed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (H.R. 1), which imposed new statutory fees on U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services applications and limited many fee waivers. USCIS then layered those statutory increases onto its fee schedule and applied annual inflation adjustments that took effect in 2026. A November 2019 Trump administration proposal also sought a large N-400 increase and the removal of most waivers, but it was never fully implemented. In fiscal year 2024, about 818,500 people were naturalized and 14.3% received an approved fee waiver. Advocates warn the change could leave thousands unable to afford citizenship.
CBS's evening video framed the move as part of the administration's broader immigration agenda and described it as a significant cost increase for naturalization.[1] The segment said it did not add numerical figures beyond CBS's written report.[1]
The mainstream summary does not mention that the proposed fee increase represents the largest naturalization fee hike in years, a point emphasized by social media commentators. This significant rise in fees, from $710 for online applications to $1,280 and from $760 to $1,330 for paper applications, could create substantial barriers for low-income applicants, as the proposal eliminates most fee waivers and reduced-fee options. Advocates warn that these changes could prevent thousands from accessing citizenship, particularly given that in fiscal year 2024, 14.3% of applicants received approved fee waivers, highlighting the potential impact on vulnerable populations. Furthermore, research indicates that such fee increases can lead to decreased naturalization rates among lower-income and less-educated lawful permanent residents, a nuance that the mainstream coverage overlooks. This suggests that the fee hikes may not only be a financial burden but could also exacerbate existing inequalities in the naturalization process, particularly affecting Mexican-origin immigrants who are disproportionately represented among those below poverty thresholds.[3]
Show source details & analysis (2 sources)
📊 Relevant Data
The current naturalization application fee is $710 for online filings and $760 for paper filings; the proposed rule would raise these to $1,280 online and $1,330 paper while eliminating fee waivers and reduced-fee options for low-income applicants.
Trump plan would increase citizenship application fee by $570 — CBS News
In FY 2024, 818,500 people were naturalized, of whom 14.3% received an approved fee waiver.
Naturalization Statistics — USCIS
📌 Key Facts
- On Monday, June 22, 2026, CBS News aired a video segment reporting that the Trump administration publicly unveiled a plan to raise U.S. citizenship application fees.
- The proposal would make it more expensive for immigrants to become U.S. citizens by increasing the citizenship application fees.
- The CBS package framed the change as a significant cost increase for naturalization and placed it within the administration’s broader immigration agenda.
- The video package did not add new numerical fee amounts, noting there were no new figures beyond those in the existing written CBS piece.
- The CBS segment was published at 6:48 PM Central on Monday, June 22, 2026.
📰 Source Timeline (2)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time
- CBS News aired a segment on June 22, 2026, noting that the Trump administration has publicly unveiled the plan to raise citizenship application fees, emphasizing that it would make it more expensive for immigrants to become U.S. citizens.
- The CBS package frames the change as a significant cost increase for naturalization and positions it as part of the administration's broader immigration agenda, but does not add new numerical details beyond those already reported in the existing written CBS piece.