changes in naturalization fees

(the news is actually good--but a little complicated))

The way that naturalization fees are calculated is going to change on April 1st. Here are some of the details I learned from folks at NALEO:

  1. For many applicants, because the new fee rule essentially “bundles” the former biometric services fee together with the N-400 fee, the cost for filing the Form N-400 on paper will increase from $725 to $760. If these applicants file online, the new filing costs will essentially be reduced to $710.
  2. For applicants who qualify for “reduced cost” Form N-400 filing, and where the biometrics services fee will be “bundled,” the filing costs will decrease from $405 to $380.
  3. The new schedule will also permit a greater number of applicants to qualify for the “reduced cost” filing, because applicants with household incomes under 400 percent of the Federal Poverty Guidelines (FPG) will qualify for this, compared to the existing “under 200 percent” of the FPG ceiling.
  4. The new fee rule still contains high increases for the filing of Forms N-600 or N-600K, increasing the cost from $1,170 to $1,335 (online) or $1,385 (paper).’'
  5. Under the new rule, fee waiver applicants will continue to have the option of writing requests without using Form I-912.
  6. The fee schedule maintains and codifies existing fee waiver eligibility criteria: (1) Receipt of means-tested benefits, (2) Income at or below 150% of the FPG, or (3) Extreme financial hardship.

To learn more about fee adjustments, you can sign up for a national webinar at USCIS:

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services - Public Engagement Division
Engagement

USCIS Issues Final Rule to Adjust Certain Immigration and Naturalization Fees National Engagement

Thursday, Feb. 22, 2024 |2 - 3 p.m. Eastern

Please join us for a webinar on Thursday, February 22, from 2 to 3 p.m. Eastern, to learn more about the final rule, published in the Federal Register on January 31, that adjusts the immigration and naturalization benefit request fees charged by USCIS.

In this webinar, we will provide a high-level overview of the significant changes to fees and forms that will go into effect on April 1, 2024, and how they will affect stakeholders.

We will allot time during the webinar to answer questions submitted in advance. Please email questions to public.engagement@uscis.dhs.gov by 4 p.m. Eastern, Thursday, February 8, and use “Fee Rule Webinar” in the subject line. Please note that we cannot answer case-specific inquiries during this webinar.

Register

To Register:

1. Visit our registration page.

2. You will be asked to provide your email address and select “Submit.”

3. On the next screen, you will see a notification that you successfully subscribed to this event.

Posted: to Citizenship News on Wed, Jan 31, 2024
Updated: Wed, Jan 31, 2024