Can the filing fee be waived?

The Form N-400 filing fee can be waived if the applicant qualifies under USCIS fee waiver rules. Applicants request a waiver by submitting Form I-912 (Request for Fee Waiver) along with the N-400 application. The fee waiver is available to applicants who fall into one of three categories under 8 CFR section 103.7(c): first, applicants who are currently receiving a means-tested public benefit (including Medicaid, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly food stamps), Supplemental Security Income (SSI), Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), or another federal, state, or local benefit that uses income to determine eligibility); second, applicants whose household income is at or below 150 percent of the federal poverty guidelines published annually by the Department of Health and Human Services (the 2025 guideline is $23,475 for a household of one in the 48 contiguous states and the District of Columbia, with higher thresholds for Alaska and Hawaii and additional amounts per household member); and third, applicants experiencing financial hardship due to extraordinary expenses such as medical bills, unemployment, eviction, or family emergencies.

A separate reduced fee option is available under Form I-942 (Request for Reduced Fee) for applicants whose household income is between 150 percent and 400 percent of the federal poverty guidelines; under the April 2024 fee schedule, the reduced N-400 fee is $405 for online filing or $475 for paper filing.

To request a fee waiver, the applicant submits Form I-912 with documentation supporting the qualifying basis: copies of public benefit award letters, federal tax transcripts (IRS Form 1040 transcripts) for the previous tax year, pay stubs for the past month, social security statements, and documentation of any extraordinary expenses. USCIS reviews the waiver request before adjudicating the underlying application; if the waiver is granted, the application proceeds without payment of the fee, and if the waiver is denied, USCIS notifies the applicant and gives them an opportunity to pay.

Approximately 25 to 30 percent of N-400 applicants apply for a fee waiver in any given year. Members of the U.S. armed forces filing under sections 328 or 329 of the Immigration and Nationality Act pay no fee and do not need to file Form I-912.