How to Get a Citizenship Fee Waiver for Low-Income Applicants

You can get the naturalization filing fee waived if you show you cannot afford it, and a citizenship fee waiver for low-income applicants covers the full $760 cost of Form N-400. USCIS grants the waiver on three grounds: you receive a qualifying means-tested government benefit, your household income sits at or below 150 percent of the Federal Poverty Guidelines, or you can document a financial hardship that leaves you unable to pay. If your income is a little too high for a full waiver, a reduced fee of $380 is available up to 200 percent of the guidelines.

The Three Ways to Qualify for a Full Waiver

Federal regulations at 8 CFR 106.3 set out three separate paths to a fee waiver, and you only need to meet one of them.¹

You Receive a Means-Tested Benefit

If you currently get a government benefit where eligibility was based on your income or resources, that alone qualifies you. USCIS recognizes Medicaid, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), and Supplemental Security Income (SSI). State or locally funded programs that use income-based eligibility can also count.²

A point that trips people up: Medicare, unemployment benefits, Social Security retirement, Social Security Disability Insurance, and student financial aid do not count as means-tested benefits for this purpose, even though some of them feel need-based. If those are the only benefits you receive, you’ll need to qualify through income or hardship instead.²

A qualifying benefit received by a family member in your household counts too. If your child living with you gets SNAP, Medicaid, TANF, SSI, or public housing assistance, USCIS treats you as receiving that benefit.²

Your Household Income Is at or Below 150 Percent of the Federal Poverty Guidelines

If you don’t receive a qualifying benefit but your household income is low enough, you qualify on income alone. The cutoff is 150 percent of the Federal Poverty Guidelines for your household size.¹ For 2026, the thresholds for the 48 contiguous states are:³

1 person: $23,940
2 persons: $32,460
3 persons: $40,980
4 persons: $49,500
5 persons: $58,020
6 persons: $66,540
7 persons: $75,060
8 persons: $83,580

For each additional person beyond eight, add $8,520. Alaska and Hawaii use higher guidelines.

You Can Document Financial Hardship

If your income is above 150 percent and you don’t receive qualifying benefits, you can still get a waiver by showing that extraordinary expenses leave you unable to pay. This path is written for situations like large medical bills, sudden job loss, caring for a sick family member, or recovering from a natural disaster.¹ USCIS reviews hardship claims case by case, so your request needs a specific explanation of why your debts and expenses leave nothing for the fee. Vague statements that money is tight won’t be enough. Concrete documentation showing your liabilities exceed your available assets is what moves the needle.

Who Counts as Part of Your Household

Because income qualification depends on how many people are in your household, getting this count right is essential. USCIS defines household more broadly than the people sleeping under your roof. It includes:²

You, the applicant.
The head of household if that is someone other than you, meaning the person who filed the most recent federal tax return for the household or earned the majority of the income.
Your spouse, if living with you. Do not include a spouse you are separated from or who lives elsewhere.
Your unmarried children under 21 who live with you.
Your unmarried children ages 21 to 23 who are full-time students and live with you when not at school.
Disabled children for whom you are the legal guardian, regardless of age.
Your parents who live with you.
Anyone else listed as a dependent on your most recent federal tax return or on the return of your spouse or head of household.

The income of every working person in that household is added together, and the total is measured against the poverty guideline threshold for that household size. Leaving out a working member, or miscounting dependents, is a common cause of denial.

The Reduced Fee Option Above 150 Percent

If your household income is above 150 percent of the Federal Poverty Guidelines but not more than 200 percent, you won’t qualify for a full waiver, but you can request a reduced fee.⁴ The reduced fee uses Form I-942 rather than Form I-912 and cuts the N-400 filing fee to $380.⁵

Using the 2026 guidelines, a single applicant qualifies with household income between $23,941 and $31,920. A family of four qualifies between $49,501 and $66,000.³ Evidence requirements track the income-based waiver: tax documents and proof of household size. As with the full waiver, you must file a paper N-400 when requesting a reduced fee.⁵

Documents You Will Need

What you gather depends on which qualification path you’re using.

For a Means-Tested Benefit

You need an official document from the agency that grants the benefit. It must show your name (or the name of the household member receiving it), the granting agency, the type of benefit, and proof the benefit is currently active. A recent approval letter, renewal notice, or other dated agency document with effective dates works.⁶ An expired letter will not be accepted. If your benefits renew annually, make sure the letter you submit reflects the current period.

For Income-Based Qualification

Tax documents are the backbone. Provide a copy of your most recent federal tax return. Pay stubs from the last month or an employer letter stating annual salary help fill in the picture, especially if your current income differs from what your last return shows. These documents need to cover every working member of your household, not just you.²

For Financial Hardship

This path takes the most documentation because you’re asking USCIS to exercise judgment. Gather medical bills, repair invoices, eviction notices, bankruptcy filings, and anything else showing your expenses exceed your ability to pay. Write a detailed explanation of how specific events affected your finances. Generic hardship claims are common, so specifics matter.

Foreign-Language Documents

Any document not in English must come with a full English translation. The translator signs a statement certifying the translation is complete and accurate and that they are competent to translate from that language.⁷ A bilingual friend or family member can do the translation as long as they sign the certification.

How to File

Download Form I-912 from the USCIS website at no cost.⁶ On the form, select the eligibility category that matches your evidence: means-tested benefit, income, or hardship. You can claim more than one if applicable. List every household member, and report the combined income of everyone in the household. Numbers should match your tax return and pay stubs; a discrepancy between the form and your tax documents is one of the fastest routes to denial. Every required signature line must be filled in, including household members whose income you’re counting.

Attach Form I-912 and all supporting documents to the top of your paper Form N-400 and send everything in the same envelope to the USCIS filing location for your state. Use a trackable mailing method so you have proof of delivery. Names, dates of birth, and addresses on the I-912 must match your N-400 exactly.

Note that when you request a fee waiver or reduced fee, you cannot file online. You must submit a paper application.⁵

What Happens After You File

USCIS reviews the fee waiver request before processing your naturalization application. If approved, you receive a receipt notice and your N-400 moves into the standard pipeline, including the interview and civics test. No additional payment is needed.

If USCIS needs more information, they issue a Request for Evidence. You generally have 30 days to respond, plus 3 additional days if the request was mailed to you.⁸ Missing that deadline can result in a denial on the existing record.

If the waiver is denied, USCIS returns your entire package with instructions on how to resubmit with the full filing fee. You can also submit a new waiver request with stronger documentation. A denied waiver does not count against you or affect your eligibility for citizenship.

The Cost of Misstating Your Situation

Understating income or fabricating hardship on a fee waiver request is a serious mistake that goes beyond losing the waiver. Under the Immigration and Nationality Act, anyone who obtains or attempts to obtain an immigration benefit through fraud or willful misrepresentation can be found inadmissible.⁹ An inadmissibility finding can block not just naturalization but other immigration benefits as well. The waiver saves several hundred dollars; a misrepresentation finding can follow you for years.

1
eCFR. 8 CFR 106.3 – Fee Waivers and Exemptions
2
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Instructions for Request for Fee Waiver
3
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. 2026 Poverty Guidelines
4
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. I-942P Supplement, Income Guidelines for Reduced Fees
5
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. N-400, Application for Naturalization
6
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. I-912, Request for Fee Waiver
7
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Instructions for Request for Reduced Fee
8
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. USCIS Policy Manual Volume 12 Part B Chapter 4 – Results of the Naturalization Examination
9
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Overview of Fraud and Willful Misrepresentation