Cost of filing for U.S. citizenship -- in dollars and cents

Want to become a U.S. citizen but can’t afford the $725 filing fee? Now’s the time to apply. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services is planning to make it harder to get a fee waiver. And, it will likely raise the fee in the coming months.

Under current rules, you qualify automatically for a fee waiver if you are receiving a means-tested public benefit such as Medicaid, SSI or Food Stamps. You can get a fee waiver also if your household income is at or below 150% of the federal poverty guidelines or you are in short-term financial distress.

Under the proposed new rule, getting a means-tested benefit won’t in and of itself qualify you for a waiver. To get a waiver you’ll need to meet the household income or short-term financial distress test. Most individuals getting public benefits will qualify for a waiver, but the paperwork you’ll need to present will be extensive. That may include tax returns or affidavits from household members.

If you have been a permanent resident for almost five years (three years if you qualify under the special rules for the spouse of a U.S. citizen), don’t wait to apply for citizenship. You can find help throughout New York State by calling the NYS Office of New Americans’ hotline, 1-800-566-7636. In New York City, call 311 and ask for ActionNYC or call CUNY Citizenship Now! at 1-646-664-9400. For a nationwide directory of free or low-cost immigration law providers visit the website of the Immigrants Advocacy Network at http://bit.ly/2fYRIZI.

Q. I got my green card this year, but I need to be abroad for a few years. How can I avoid losing my green card status?

Name withheld, by email

A. Before you leave, you need to apply for a Reentry Permit by filing USCIS form I-131, Application for Travel Document. You must be in the United States to apply, but you can leave after USCIS takes your fingerprints even if USCIS hasn’t yet approved your request. The permit is good for up to two years abroad. You can renew the permit, but you must be in the United States when you make the renewal request.

Allan Wernick is an attorney and director of the City University of New York’s Citizenship Now! project. Send questions and comments to Allan Wernick, New York Daily News, 7th Fl., 4 New York Plaza, New York, N.Y., 10004 or email to questions@allanwernick.com. Follow him on Twitter @awernick.