Applying for U.S. citizenship is a process that takes quite some time to get through. To being the process you must first determine your eligibility to file Form N-400, Application for Naturalization.
The process ends with the naturalization ceremony. Below we explain how much you can expect to spend on the naturalization fee.
Intro on U.S. Citizenship and Naturalization
Naturalization allows U.S. permanent residents to become U.S. citizens. In general, to apply to become a U.S. citizen you will have to meet a series of requirements such as:
- Be at least 18 years old
- Be a permanent resident (green card holder) for a specific period of time depending on your situation
- It’s 5 years of permanent residency for most people, 3 years for the spouses of U.S. citizens and 1 year or less for some members of the military or government employees and their spouses.
- Have the required continuous residence in the U.S.
- This usually means that you can’t have left the U.S. for a period longer than 6 months unless you had authorization from the U.S. government.
- Have the required physical presence in the U.S.
- This usually means that you must have been inside the U.S. for a specific period of time depending on your situation.
- Have good moral character
- This usually means you can’t have committed any serious crimes.
- Have general knowledge of U.S. government and history
- There are some exceptions for those with permanent physical or mental disabilities.
- Be able to read, speak and write in English
- There are some exceptions for those with permanent physical or mental disabilities or those above the age of 50 who have been green card holders for a certain period of time.
If you meet the above requirements, you can apply for naturalization using Form N-400.
Naturalization brings many rights and benefits not offered to U.S. permanent residents, including the freedom to travel in and out of the country without restrictions using a U.S. passport, access to federal jobs and the ability to vote.
How Much is the U.S. Citizenship Cost?
The cost to apply for U.S. citizenship includes the form fee and the biometric fee.
Here are the current United States Citizenship and Immigration Services’ naturalization fees: (Updated Sept. 2018)
- Form fee: $640
- Biometric fee: $85
- A total fee of: $725
Note: There are exceptions to the fees that apply to those who are 75 years of age or older (if this is your case, you may not have to pay a biometric fee) and certain members of the military (if this is your case, you may not have to pay any fees).
U.S. Citizenship Cost Waiver
If you can’t pay the fees to file Form N-400, you may be able to request the citizenship fee waiver using Form I-912, Request for Fee Waiver.
To be able to receive a fee waiver, you must complete Form I-912 and provide supporting evidence. Please keep in mind that you will have to provide sufficient evidence to be granted the fee waiver. Your request for a fee waiver will be based on one of three situations:
1. You, your spouse, or the head of the household where you live receives a means-tested benefit.
- A means-tested benefit is a public benefit issued to you that is either Federally, state or locally-funded. It’s granted by a government benefits agency and you receive it based on your income and resources. Some examples of means-tested benefits are food stamps, public housing, Medicaid or Temporary Assistance to Needy Families.
OR
2. Your household income is at or below 150% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines.
- The Federal Poverty Guidelines change every year. It takes into account the income of an entire household and how many members are part of the household. The Federal Poverty Guidelines can be seen here.
OR
3. You have a financial hardship.
- Financial hardships are considered on a case by case basis. The immigration officer will take a look at the evidence you provide (such as documents that show a decline in your standard of living due to lack of employment or underemployment) and determine if your financial hardship is significant enough that paying the naturalization fee would be impossible for you.