DHS published a Federal Register correction on July 7, 2026, restoring text that had been dropped from its proposed naturalization fee rule — the missing passage describes how USCIS handles fee waiver requests using Form I-912.

The Department of Homeland Security published a correction in the Federal Register on July 7, 2026, to its proposed rule on naturalization application fee adjustments, after the original printing left out a section explaining how U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services processes fee waiver requests. The correction, filed as document C1-2026-12542, amends the proposed rule that first appeared on June 23, 2026.

The omitted text was supposed to run on page 37547 of that issue, just before the heading for USCIS Form N-400. Its restoration is procedural — it does not change the substance of the proposed rule — but it fills a gap in how the agency describes its own fee waiver process at the very moment it is proposing to eliminate that process.

What the Correction Restored

The inserted passage explains that USCIS uses data collected on Form N-400 to verify whether an applicant is unable to pay for the benefit requested, and that a fee will be considered for waiver when the applicant clearly demonstrates eligibility under 8 CFR 106.3. Form I-912, the correction states, standardizes how USCIS collects and analyzes the statements and supporting documents submitted with a waiver request, laying out the evidence needed to determine inability to pay. Officers weigh all the information supplied and decide each case on its own merits: if the waiver is granted, the application proceeds; if it is denied, USCIS notifies the applicant to refile with the appropriate fee.

The Rule Behind the Correction

The correction matters because of what the underlying rule would do. Published under DHS Docket No. USCIS-2026-0265 (RIN 1615-AD08), the proposal would raise the paper-filed Form N-400 naturalization fee to $1,330 from $760 — roughly a 75 percent increase — and raise the Form N-336 appeal fee to $1,475 from $830. It would also end the reduced-fee option for lower-income applicants and eliminate fee waivers for both forms entirely, under what DHS calls a "full-cost, beneficiary-pays" model. Current and former armed forces members would remain exempt. The rule is a proposal, not final: the public comment period runs through August 24, 2026, and current fees stay in place until any final rule takes effect.

The Burden Estimates

The correction also updated the paperwork-burden figures tied to Form N-336. It estimates 3,788 respondents for the paper version, at about 2.567 hours each, and 1,263 for the online version, at about 2.5 hours each. The total estimated annual hour burden for the collection is 12,882 hours, with an estimated annual cost burden of $2,601,265.

What This Means Right Now

  • Nothing has changed yet. The fee increase and the end of waivers are only proposed — current naturalization fees and existing fee waivers remain available during the comment period.

  • Applicants who may struggle with the higher fee should weigh filing before any final rule takes effect, since filing at the current fee locks in the lower cost.

  • The comment period is open through August 24, 2026, and anyone affected can submit input on the proposal through the federal rulemaking portal under docket USCIS-2026-0265.

Factum Immigration will continue to monitor developments closely. If you have questions about naturalization timing, fee waivers, or how the proposed changes may affect your case, our team is here to provide personalized guidance.

This article is based on the Federal Register and other sources. It is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice.