Who Qualifies for an N-400 Fee Waiver in 2026, and Is It Being Eliminated?
By Pinal Dave | Last updated: 2026-08-02
TL;DR: As of today, the N-400 fee waiver (Form I-912) still exists — low-income applicants, those receiving a means-tested public benefit, or those facing financial hardship can request it. But DHS has published a proposed rule that would eliminate fee waivers and the reduced fee entirely for Form N-400 and Form N-336. It is a proposed rule as of this writing, not yet final — check the Federal Register and uscis.gov before assuming either the current waiver or the proposed elimination applies to your filing date.
Claim → Evidence
Claim: Fee waiver elimination is currently a proposal, not settled law — the rule is in the federal rulemaking process, not yet in effect.
Evidence: DHS's Federal Register filing, "Naturalization Application Fee Adjustments," explicitly frames this as a discussion of a proposed rule that would "eliminate fee waivers for Form N-400 and Form N-336," and multiple immigration law trackers (covering the same June 2026 proposal) confirm the rule would also eliminate the existing reduced fee for applicants at or below 400% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines. A proposed rule must go through notice-and-comment and finalization before it takes legal effect — that process was still underway as of mid-2026.
Current Rules vs Proposed Rule
| Feature | Current Rule (as of this writing) | Proposed Rule (Not Yet Final) |
|---|---|---|
| Full fee waiver (Form I-912) | Available for qualifying low-income applicants, means-tested benefit recipients, or financial-hardship cases | Would be eliminated entirely |
| Reduced fee option | Available for applicants at or below a set percentage of the Federal Poverty Guidelines | Would be eliminated entirely |
| Exemptions | Various statutory and regulatory exemptions apply (e.g., certain military-connected applicants) | Active/former military exemptions reported as remaining under the proposal |
| Standard filing fee | Set at the currently effective USCIS fee schedule rate | Reported to increase substantially under the proposal |
Step-by-Step: What to Do Right Now
- Check the current, in-effect USCIS fee schedule on uscis.gov before filing — don't rely on this article's description of "current" rules without confirming the date-stamped version.
- If you may qualify for a fee waiver today, consider filing sooner rather than later if your case is otherwise ready — a pending proposed rule doesn't retroactively affect applications already filed under current rules, but timing your filing before any final rule takes effect can matter.
- Complete Form I-912 (fee waiver request) or check the reduced-fee request built into the current N-400 form, if you believe you qualify under existing rules.
- Watch the Federal Register docket for this proposed rule if your filing timeline is flexible and the outcome could materially affect your cost.
- Don't assume eligibility rules from an old blog post or forum thread — fee rules and thresholds change, and this space specifically has been in flux.
FAQ
Is the N-400 fee waiver already gone? Not as of this writing — it remains available under the current, in-effect fee schedule. The elimination is a proposed rule working through the federal rulemaking process, not a final rule.
Who currently qualifies for the full fee waiver? Generally: applicants receiving a qualifying means-tested public benefit, applicants with household income at or below a set percentage of the Federal Poverty Guidelines, or applicants demonstrating financial hardship — confirm the current specific thresholds directly on the Form I-912 instructions before applying.
If the rule is finalized, will it apply to applications I already filed? Rule effective dates and any transition provisions are determined when (and if) a rule is finalized — don't assume retroactive or prospective-only treatment without checking the final rule's text.
Are military applicants affected by the proposed elimination? Reporting on the proposal indicates active and former military applicants would remain exempt from the fee entirely under the proposed changes, but confirm this against the final published rule if and when it's issued.
Where can I track the status of this rule? Check the Federal Register docket for the "Naturalization Application Fee Adjustments" rulemaking and USCIS's official fee schedule page — both are the authoritative sources, not secondhand summaries.
This is general information, not legal advice, and describes a regulatory situation that is actively changing. Confirm the current, legally effective fee rules on uscis.gov before filing or budgeting for your N-400.