The US Department of Homeland Security plans to increase the application fee for legal immigrants seeking US citizenship by $570, a rise of about 75%, according to livemint.com. This change was announced on Monday and is expected to affect Indian applicants, potentially adding up to ₹1 lakh in costs. The proposal also includes eliminating fee waivers and reductions for low-income applicants.
The new fee structure was unveiled by the Trump administration as part of a broader plan to adjust immigration-related charges. The Department of Homeland Security aims to recover more costs by raising fees for the citizenship program. The removal of fee waivers and reductions means that low-income immigrants will no longer benefit from discounted application fees, increasing the financial burden on many applicants.
This fee hike comes amid ongoing debates over US immigration policies and could significantly impact Indian nationals, who represent a large portion of Green Card aspirants. The increase aligns with efforts to make immigration processes more self-sustaining financially. Compared to previous fees, this rise marks one of the steepest increases in recent years and may influence the number of applicants pursuing US citizenship.
The updated fee proposal is part of a formal rulemaking process and will be subject to public comment before implementation. The Department of Homeland Security has not yet specified the exact date when the new fees will take effect, but the announcement on June 22, 2026, signals an imminent change in the citizenship application landscape.