For Indians living in the United States who are planning to become US citizens, the process could soon become much more expensive.
The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has proposed a major increase in citizenship application fees.
It also plans to remove fee waivers and discounted application options, making the naturalization process costlier for many applicants.
Citizenship Application May Cost Much More
The proposal includes a sharp increase in the fee for Form N-400, which is used by Green Card holders to apply for US citizenship.
At present, the paper application costs $760, but the fee could rise to $1,330. For online applications, the cost may increase from $710 to $1,280. This means applicants could face a fee hike of around 75% to 80%.
The government has also proposed increasing the fee for Form N-336, which is used by applicants who want their rejected citizenship application to be reviewed again.
Indians Could Be Among the Most Affected
The proposed changes could have a big impact on Indian immigrants in the US. In 2024, Indians made up around 6% of all people applying for US citizenship, making them the second-largest group after Mexicans, who accounted for 13%.
Over the last five years, nearly 370,000 Indians have become US citizens through the naturalization process.
Experts Raise Concerns
Immigration experts believe the higher fees could make it harder for low-income immigrants to become US citizens.
Former DHS official Adam Klein said such a large increase could turn citizenship into something that many people with limited incomes simply cannot afford.
He added that becoming a US citizen helps people improve their economic opportunities and take a more active role in society, so higher costs could reduce those benefits.
Why Is the US Government Increasing the Fees?
The Department of Homeland Security says the current application fees do not fully cover the cost of processing citizenship applications.
According to the department, the proposed increase is part of its regular fee review process and is intended to help recover the actual cost of providing immigration services.
