If you are an Indian living in the United States and planning to become a US citizen, the process could soon become much more expensive.
The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has proposed a major increase in citizenship application fees.
If the proposal is approved, many applicants may have to pay hundreds of dollars more to complete the naturalization process.
Citizenship Application Fees Could Rise Sharply
The biggest change is 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 proposed fee is $1,330. For online applications, the fee 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 to request a review after a citizenship application is denied.
Indians Could Be Among the Most Affected
The proposed changes could have a big impact on Indians living in the US. In 2024, Indians made up 6% of all people who became US citizens through naturalization, second only to Mexico at 13%.
Over the last five years, nearly 370,000 Indians have become US citizens through this process.
Experts Raise Concerns
Immigration experts believe the higher fees could make it harder for low-income applicants to become US citizens.
Former DHS official Adam Klein said such a large increase could make citizenship too expensive for many families.
He added that becoming a US citizen helps people improve their economic opportunities and participate more fully in society, so higher fees may discourage eligible applicants.
However, the Department of Homeland Security says the current fees do not fully cover the cost of processing applications. According to the department, the proposed increase is part of its regular review of immigration service fees.