What changed — and what did not

The rule creates authority and a process for future mandatory e-filing; it did not automatically make every USCIS form online-only on August 11. When USCIS mandates e-filing for a specific eligible benefit request, the rule also provides a process to request a waiver when electronic filing would cause undue hardship.

The January 2025 executive order that sought to deny citizenship to those children cannot change the constitutional rule the Court recognized. The decision is binding law unless later altered by constitutional amendment or a future Supreme Court decision.

Applicants requesting the reduced fee or a fee waiver generally must file on paper and document eligibility. The reduced fee and the full fee waiver are different requests with different eligibility standards. Filing-method rules should also be checked against any form-specific mandatory e-filing notice issued under the August 2026 rule.

Do not rely on the former $1,170 figure. Check Form G-1055 before filing because the filing method and exemption category matter.

These amounts are not the current filing fees. CitizenApproved will not present a proposed rule as effective law unless DHS publishes a final rule with an effective date.

The filing date determines which test applies. The 2008 test asks up to 10 questions and requires 6 correct answers. The 2025 test asks up to 20 questions and requires 12 correct answers.

For derivative-citizenship questions, custody facts can be outcome-determinative. Historical cases also require the law that was in effect when the relevant conditions were satisfied.

Military eligibility is not accurately summarized as active duty only. INA 329 can also cover Selected Reserve service, and military applicants who qualify under INA 328 or 329 pay $0 for Form N-400.

CitizenApproved does not publish invented “national average,” “fastest office,” or “slowest office” figures. Readers should use the live USCIS processing-time and case-status tools for their form and office.