Archive · 2 Sep 2026
US Citizenship Becomes Costlier and Harder for Green Card Holders
Green card holders can apply to become U.S. citizens, but the process is becoming more difficult.
A proposed rule would make the application much more expensive.
People with low incomes would also lose some fee discounts and hardship waivers under the proposal.
More applications are being denied than two years ago.
The government is processing fewer applications, so many people are waiting longer.
A new civics test asks more questions about American history and government.
Immigration officials have also brought back investigations involving neighbors, employers, and coworkers.
The Department of Justice is pursuing more cases to take citizenship away from some naturalized citizens.
Government officials say these changes protect the naturalization system, while advocates say they may discourage people from applying.
A proposed rule would raise online naturalization fees from $710 to $1,280 and paper fees from $760 to $1,330.
The N-400 denial rate rose from 8.3% in May 2024 to 18.1% in May 2026, according to the National Foundation for American Policy.
Applications processed monthly fell 75% between May 2024 and May 2026, while pending cases older than six months more than doubled.
Applicants filing since October 20, 2025, face a civics test requiring 12 correct answers from a pool of up to 128 questions.
The administration has expanded neighborhood investigations and prioritized denaturalization, prompting concerns from immigration lawyers and advocates.
- Who
- U.S. lawful permanent residents seeking naturalization, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, the Department of Justice, and immigration advocacy groups.
- What
- Naturalization is becoming more expensive, slower, and more difficult, with higher proposed fees, increased denials, a tougher civics test, additional investigations, and expanded denaturalization efforts.
- When
- The proposed fee rule was published on June 23, 2026; the new civics test applies to applications filed on or after October 20, 2025; the cited denial and processing figures run through May 2026.
- Where
- The United States.
- Why
- The administration and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services say tougher requirements and investigations are needed to protect the integrity of naturalization, while critics say the changes create unnecessary hurdles and undermine confidence in citizenship.
Immigration Advocates and Critics
USCIS and Administration
Higher fees and access
Immigration Advocates and Critics
The National Foundation for American Policy, immigration lawyers, and advocates say steep fee increases and the removal of reduced fees and hardship waivers will create significant hurdles and may discourage eligible residents from applying.
USCIS and Administration
The administration has proposed the fee changes, but the article does not provide a detailed public justification for the specific fee amounts.
Testing and investigations
Immigration Advocates and Critics
Critics argue that the tougher civics test, slower processing, and neighborhood investigations could make naturalization longer, costlier, and more uncertain.
USCIS and Administration
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services says the new test reinforces the integrity of naturalization and has restored neighborhood investigations to verify residency, moral character, and loyalty to the Constitution.
Denaturalization and public confidence
Immigration Advocates and Critics
The American Immigration Lawyers Association and the National Immigration Forum warn that expanded efforts to revoke citizenship could erode trust, reduce applications, and weaken civic participation.
USCIS and Administration
The administration has prioritized denaturalization, and the article reports that authorities have pursued cases involving alleged wrongdoing, including a citizen convicted of filing a false tax return.
- Proposed online N-400 fee
- $1,280, up from $710, a proposed increase of 75%
- Proposed paper N-400 fee
- $1,330, up from $760, a proposed increase of 80%
- N-400 denial rate
- 18.1% in May 2026, compared with 8.3% in May 2024
- Monthly applications processed
- 20,795 in May 2026, down from 83,317 in May 2024
- Six-month-plus backlog
- 441,362 pending applications in May 2026, up from 198,235 in January 2026
- New civics test
- Applicants must answer 12 of up to 20 questions correctly from a pool of 128
- Denaturalization lawsuits
- At least 15 complaints were filed in May 2026, compared with a historical average of fewer than one per month