Meng and Torres Introduce Legislation to Expand Access to Fee Waivers for Naturalization

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Reps. Grace Meng (D-NY) and Norma J. Torres (D-CA) introduced the Reduce Financial Barriers to Immigration and Citizenship Act. The legislation facilitates and promotes naturalization for more than nine million citizenship-eligible immigrants.

"The fee waiver program is critical for helping eligible immigrants become naturalized citizens," said Rep. Meng. The previous administration's consistent attacks on the citizenship process demonstrated how important it is to codify and protect the avenues for immigrants to become new Americans. This bill does just that so that cost is not a barrier to immigrants achieving their American Dream."

"This nation has been built and made prosperous by immigrants," said Rep. Torres. "For those seeking to become citizens, financial cost should not be a barrier. Unfortunately, the Trump administration attempted to end the fee waiver program to make it more difficult for eligible immigrants to apply for naturalization – this bill removes those barriers. Hard-working, law-abiding immigrants deserve an opportunity to become U.S. Citizens and fully participate in our democracy."

The Reduce Financial Barriers to Immigration and Citizenship Act would:

• Waive fees for the naturalization application for all eligible immigrants, including essential workers;
• Codify existing fee waivers issued administratively by USCIS so that they are encased in legislation; and
• Authorize funding to offset USCIS operations and tackle the case backlog.

Expanding access to fee waivers for naturalizations has a successful track record of increasing citizenship and subsequent economic benefits, especially among immigrants with lower incomes, language skills, and education levels. Naturalization among low-income eligible immigrants doubled when they were offered a fee waiver and naturalization increased by 30% when eligible immigrants were simply informed of their eligibility for a fee waiver. Fee waivers alleviate unnecessary bottlenecks to citizenship and would help reduce the massive backlog in our immigration system.

The House bill is cosponsored by Representatives Mark Takano, Judy Chu, Eleanor Norton, Mondaire Jones, Raúl Grijalva, Nydia Velázquez, James McGovern, Tony Cárdenas, Carolyn Maloney, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Jimmy Gomez, Juan Vargas and Darren Soto, and is supported by National Partnership for New Americans (NPNA), National Education Association (NEA), National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO) Educational Fund, the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights (CHIRLA), New York Immigration Coalition, Latin American Coalition, Global Cleveland, YWCA Tulsa, OneAmerica, the Resurrection Project, Comunidades Unidas, Somos un Pueblo Unido, Hispanic Interest Coalition of Alabama, The Legal Clinic "Justice for our Neighbors - Hawai'i", Hawaii Coalition for Immigrant Rights, and Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition.