The current N-400 application fee for processing the naturalization application is $725. This includes a filing fee of $645 for Form N-400 and an $85 biometrics fee. Applicants above 75 years of age are not required to take the biometrics hence $85 biometric fee may not apply.
Eligible Lawful Permanent Residents (green card holders) have to file Form N-400, Application for Naturalization with the USCIS. After completing the application, they must mail the application with the necessary supporting documents and the appropriate filing fee to the concerned Application Service Center serving their area.
USCIS has revised the fees for many applications/petitions in the past including the naturalization application. USCIS tried to raise the cost back in 2020 from $640 to $1170 for paper filing but it didn’t materialize. So the current filing fee remains.
There is a possibility of a fee hike in the future so if you are eligible do not wait. You can use Immigration Direct to complete your citizenship application and submit it to the USCIS with relative ease.
It is important that you send the correct N-400 application fee along with your Naturalization application. Else your application will be sent back to you or rejected. You can pay the fee with a check, credit card, or money order drawn from a U.S. bank and it should be payable to the Department of Homeland Security. Make note NOT to use the initials DHS or USDHS and also do not send cash.
If you are residing in Guam, you have to make the fee payable to the “Treasurer, Guam,” and if you residing in U.S. Virgin Islands, you have to make the fee payable to the “Commissioner of Finance of the Virgin Islands.”
Keep in mind that the $645 application fee will not be refunded even if you withdraw your application or if your application is rejected.
Are All Applicants Required to Pay the N-400 Application Fee?
You need not pay the filing fee if you are applying for naturalization based on your own service in the Armed Forces of the U.S. If you are aged 75 years or older, or if you are filing on the basis of your service in the Armed Forces of the U.S., or if you are filing the citizenship application from outside the U.S., you need not send the biometric services fee with your citizenship application.
Apart from the fee, you should also send a photocopy of both sides of your Permanent Resident Card (Green Card). If you have lost the green card, you have to submit a photocopy of the receipt of your Form I-90, “Application to Replace Permanent Resident Card;” In addition to these, two identical color photographs, with your name and “A-number” written lightly in pencil on the back of each photo should also accompany the application. The supporting documents to be sent are user-specific and differ from applicant to applicant.
If you send all the required documents with the fee and if your application is perfect, you will be informed to appear to get your fingerprints taken. Subsequently, you should attend an interview where you will be questioned about the details found in the application you submitted. As part of the application process, you should take an English and Civics test. The final decision on your application will be taken based on the completeness of your application and your performance in the English and Civics test. Some applicants, depending on age and health factors can claim a waiver for the tests.
In some cases, fee waivers are provided for payment of the filing fees. If you are eligible for a filing fee waiver the cost of the citizenship application process will reduce further.