How long does US citizenship take, and how much does it cost in 2026?

Two questions come before almost every other question about citizenship: how much will it cost, and how long will it take? Both answers have changed recently. Fees were reorganised in 2024, a large increase was proposed in 2026, and processing times have moved up and down with the number of people applying. This guide gives you today’s numbers, with sources, and explains what you control and what you do not.

The short answer

The N-400 fee in 2026

How you file	Fee	Notes
Online, standard	$710	The cheapest option if you pay the full fee
Paper, standard	$760	Mailed to the USCIS lockbox
Reduced fee	$380	Household income at or below 400% of the federal poverty guidelines; paper only
Fee waiver	$0	For applicants who cannot pay, using Form I-912 or a written request; paper only
Military (qualifying service)	$0	Under the military naturalization provisions

Three details save people money and trouble:

• There is no separate biometrics fee. Since the fee rule of April 2024, the fingerprint and photo appointment is included in the N-400 fee.
• Online is $50 cheaper than paper for the same application, and you can track your case and receive notices in your online account.
• Reduced fees and waivers require paper filing. You request the reduced fee inside the N-400 itself and include proof of household income. You cannot request it online.

There is no extra fee for the civics or English test. Both are part of your interview, which your N-400 fee already covers. If you fail a part of the test, the retest is also free.

View the data

Filing option	fee (US dollars)	Source
Online (now)	$710	USCIS fee schedule G-1055
Paper (now)	$760	USCIS fee schedule G-1055
Reduced (now)	$380	USCIS fee schedule G-1055
Online (proposed)	$1,280	DHS proposed fee rule, June 2026 (not in effect)
Paper (proposed)	$1,330	DHS proposed fee rule, June 2026 (not in effect)

Sources: USCIS: Fee schedule (Form G-1055) · Immigration Council of Philadelphia: USCIS proposed rule on naturalization fees (Aug 2026)

The proposed fee increase

In June 2026, the Department of Homeland Security published a proposed rule that would raise the N-400 fee to $1,280 online and $1,330 on paper, an increase of $570, and would remove both the $380 reduced fee and fee waivers for naturalization. The public comment period closed in August 2026.

A proposed rule is not the law. Until DHS publishes a final rule with an effective date, the current fees apply. USCIS charges the fee in effect on the day it receives your application, so if a final rule is announced, applications received before its effective date pay the old fee. If you are eligible now and the cost matters to you, filing sooner rather than later is the safer choice. Always check the USCIS fee calculator on the day you file.

Other costs to plan for

The filing fee is the only cost every applicant pays, but most people spend something on these too:

• Documents. Certified court records if you have ever been arrested, tax transcripts, and certified translations for any document that is not in English.
• Photos and travel. Two passport-style photos if you live outside the United States, and travel to your biometrics appointment, interview and oath ceremony.
• Legal help (optional). Many people file on their own. If your case has complications, such as an arrest, long trips abroad, unpaid taxes or a past immigration problem, a lawyer or a DOJ-accredited representative is worth it. Private attorney fees commonly run from about $1,000 to $3,000; nonprofit legal services often charge much less.
• Your first U.S. passport. After the oath you will probably want one. Passport fees are separate and are set by the State Department.
• Study materials. The official USCIS materials and ReadyPass’s question pages are free.

How long it takes now

USCIS publishes processing times in two different ways, and the difference confuses many people:

1. The national median is the time it took to finish half of all cases in a period. In the April to June 2026 quarter, USCIS reported a median of 9.5 months for regular (non-military) N-400 cases, with about 727,000 cases pending. Military cases were much faster, around 2.6 months.
2. The field office estimate on the USCIS processing times website is the time it took your local office to finish 80% of its cases. In August 2026, those estimates ranged from about 7 to 17 months across offices.

For perspective, the national median peaked at about 11.5 months in FY 2021 during the pandemic backlog, then dropped to about 5.2 months, the lowest since 2016, before rising again after a wave of applications in late 2025. Waits go up when many people apply at once.

Your local office matters most. Two applicants who file on the same day can wait very different amounts of time if one lives in a busy city and the other does not. Look up your own office on the USCIS processing times page once you have your receipt notice.

The timeline, step by step

1. File Form N-400. Online or on paper, with the fee. You get a receipt notice within a few weeks. Keep it: it extends your green card for 24 months.
2. Biometrics. USCIS takes your fingerprints and photo at an Application Support Center, often a few weeks after filing. Sometimes USCIS reuses fingerprints from an earlier application and skips this step.
3. Background checks. These happen in the background and are often the longest part of the wait.
4. Interview and test. You receive an interview notice, usually with at least a few weeks’ warning. At the interview you take the English and civics tests. See what to expect at the interview.
5. Decision. Often given the same day on Form N-652: granted, continued or denied.
6. Oath ceremony. Some offices hold the oath the same day as the interview. Others schedule a ceremony weeks later. You become a citizen when you take the oath, not when you pass the test.

When you can file

Most applicants must have been permanent residents for five years. If you have been married to and living with a U.S. citizen, the requirement is three years, as long as your spouse has been a citizen for those three years. You must also meet physical presence, continuous residence and good moral character requirements, and have lived for at least three months in the state or USCIS district where you file.

You can file up to 90 days before you reach the five-year or three-year mark. USCIS has an early filing calculator on its website. Filing too early is one of the most common reasons for denial, so count carefully from the “Resident Since” date on your green card.

How to avoid delays

• Answer every question on the N-400 completely. Missing answers and unsigned forms are the easiest way to lose weeks.
• Keep your address current. If you move, update your address with USCIS within 10 days. Missed notices cause missed appointments.
• Respond fast to requests for evidence. If USCIS asks for more documents, send exactly what is asked before the deadline.
• Bring everything to the interview. Your green card, passports, state ID, interview notice and any documents listed in the notice.
• Be ready for the test. A failed test adds a second interview 60 to 90 days later. Studying properly is the single biggest thing you control. Start with our guide on how to pass the citizenship test and our free practice test.

If your case goes well beyond the time shown for your field office, you can submit a case inquiry online. Avoid anyone who promises to speed up your case for a fee: there is no paid fast lane for the N-400.