New Prices for US Citizenship Applications
New Prices for US Citizenship Applications
美國公民申請費用新價格
Introduction
The US government wants to make the citizenship process more expensive for people with green cards.
美國政府希望讓持有綠卡的人在申請公民時，過程變得更加昂貴。
Main Body
The government says it needs more money to check applications. Paper applications will cost $1,330. Online applications will cost $1,280. Some poor people still pay $380, but other discounts will stop.
政府表示需要更多資金來審核申請。紙本申請將費用為 1,330 美元。線上申請則為 1,280 美元。部分貧困人士仍支付 380 美元，但其他折扣將停止。
Fewer people from India are getting green cards now. In 2022, 127,010 Indians got them. In 2024, only 66,800 Indians got them. These new prices might make it harder for the 6.7 million Indians in the US.
目前獲得綠卡的印度人數有所減少。2022 年有 127,010 名印度人獲得綠卡。而 2024 年僅有 66,800 名印度人獲得。這些新價格可能會讓在美 670 萬名印度人面臨更多困難。
Some officials say these prices are normal. Other people disagree. They say the high prices stop poor people from becoming citizens.
部分官員表示這些價格屬正常現象。但其他人則持不同意見。他們認為高昂的費用會阻礙貧困人士成為公民。
Conclusion
The government will wait 60 days for people to give their opinions before the new prices start.
在新價格生效前，政府將等待 60 天讓民眾提供意見。
Vocabulary Learning
💰 Money Words & Comparisons
In this text, we see how to talk about cost and changes.
1. Paying for things We use the word cost to say how much money something is.
- Paper applications will cost $1,330.
- Online applications will cost $1,280.
2. Comparing Numbers (More vs. Fewer) When we talk about things we can count (like people or cards), we use fewer, not 'less'.
- More A bigger number (Price goes up).
- Fewer A smaller number (Number of people goes down).
Example from text: "Fewer people from India are getting green cards now."
3. Simple Opposites
- Expensive Costs a lot of money.
- Poor Has very little money.
Quick Tip: To reach A2, practice using cost with different prices: "The coffee costs $3."
Vocabulary Learning
Proposed Increase in U.S. Naturalization Application Fees
美國擬調高入籍申請費用
Introduction
The Trump administration has proposed new rules to increase the fees that lawful permanent residents must pay to become citizens.
川普政府提出了新規定，擬調高合法永久居民申請入籍時必須支付的費用。
Main Body
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) wants to raise these fees to cover the full cost of processing applications, which now include stricter security checks. Under the new proposal, the paper application fee for Form N-400 would rise from $760 to $1,330, and the online fee would increase from $710 to $1,280. Additionally, the cost for appeals would increase from $830 to $1,475. While the $380 fee for low-income applicants remains the same, the government suggests removing other fee waivers and discounts.
國土安全部 (DHS) 希望調高這些費用，以涵蓋處理申請的全部成本，而目前的安全性審查也變得更加嚴格。根據新提案，N-400 表格的紙本申請費將從 760 美元增加至 1,330 美元，而線上申請費將從 710 美元增加至 1,280 美元。此外，上訴費用將從 830 美元增加至 1,475 美元。雖然低收入申請者的 380 美元費用維持不變，但政府建議取消其他費用豁免與折扣。
This change comes as fewer Indian nationals are obtaining green cards, with numbers dropping from 127,010 in 2022 to 66,800 in 2024. This trend follows previous attempts to limit skilled immigration, such as a plan to raise H-1B visa fees to $100,000, which was later blocked by a court. Consequently, these new costs may affect the plans of the 6.7 million Indians currently living in the U.S.
此次調整正值獲得綠卡的印度國民人數下降之際，人數從 2022 年的 127,010 人下降至 2024 年的 66,800 人。這一趨勢延續了先前限制技術移民的嘗試，例如一項將 H-1B 簽證費提高至 10 萬美元的計劃，但該計劃隨後被法院攔截。因此，這些新成本可能會影響目前居住在美國的 670 萬印度人的計劃。
Opinions on this policy are divided. DHS officials emphasized that this is a standard measure to recover costs. However, critics, such as former official Adam Klein, asserted that these high costs could prevent low-income applicants from participating in society and becoming citizens.
對於這項政策的看法分歧很大。國土安全部官員強調，這是回收成本的標準措施。然而，如前任官員 Adam Klein 等批評者則主張，如此高昂的成本可能會阻礙低收入申請者參與社會並成為公民。
Conclusion
The proposed fee increases will be reviewed during a 60-day public comment period before they can be officially implemented.
擬議的費用調增方案將在 60 天的公眾評論期內接受審查，之後才能正式實施。
Vocabulary Learning
The 'B2 Shift': Moving from Basic Verbs to Precision Verbs
At the A2 level, you likely use words like say, want, or change. To reach B2, you need Precision Verbs. These are words that tell the reader how something is happening, not just that it is happening.
⚡ The Upgrade Path
Look at how the article replaces simple A2 concepts with B2 power-verbs:
-
Instead of "say" Asserted
- A2: Adam Klein said it is too expensive.
- B2: Adam Klein asserted that these high costs could prevent applicants...
- The Difference: "Asserted" means saying something with strong confidence and authority. It's a 'power move' in academic English.
-
Instead of "want/try" Proposed
- A2: The government wants to change the fees.
- B2: The Trump administration has proposed new rules...
- The Difference: "Proposed" implies a formal plan that is waiting for a decision. It is a professional, bureaucratic term.
-
Instead of "happen/do" Implemented
- A2: The rules will start soon.
- B2: ...before they can be officially implemented.
- The Difference: "Implemented" describes the process of putting a decision or plan into action. It is a key word for business and law.
🛠️ Linguistic Logic: "Recovering Costs"
Notice the phrase "recover costs." An A2 student might say "get the money back." In a B2 context, we use Recover to describe a financial system returning to its original state.
Quick B2 Formula:
Formal Subject + Precision Verb + Specific Object
(e.g., "The DHS [Subject] + emphasized [Precision Verb] + the standard measure [Object]")
Vocabulary Learning
Proposed Adjustment of United States Naturalization Application Fees by the Department of Homeland Security
美國國土安全部擬調整入籍申請費用
Introduction
The Trump administration has introduced a regulatory proposal to increase the fees associated with the naturalization process for lawful permanent residents.
川普政府提出了一項監管提案，旨在增加合法永久居民入籍過程的相關費用。
Main Body
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) seeks to align application fees with the comprehensive operational costs of processing, which now include intensified screening and vetting protocols mandated by recent executive orders. Under the proposed rule, the paper-based filing fee for Form N-400 would ascend from $760 to $1,330, while the online filing fee would increase from $710 to $1,280. Furthermore, the cost for appeals board reconsideration is projected to rise from $830 to $1,475. While the $380 fee for applicants whose household income is below 400 percent of the Federal Poverty Guidelines remains unchanged, the proposal suggests the elimination of fee waivers and reduced-fee options for Form N-400.
國土安全部 (DHS) 尋求將申請費用與處理的全面營運成本掛鉤，其中現在包含了近期行政命令所要求的強化篩查與審核協定。根據擬議規則，N-400 表格的紙本申請費將從 760 美元增加至 1,330 美元，而線上申請費將從 710 美元增加至 1,280 美元。此外，上訴委員會重新審理的費用預計將從 830 美元上升至 1,475 美元。雖然家庭收入低於聯邦貧困準則 400% 的申請人費用仍維持 380 美元不變，但該提案建議取消 N-400 表格的費用豁免與減費選項。
This fiscal shift occurs amidst a documented decline in the acquisition of lawful permanent residency among Indian nationals. Data indicates that the number of Indians receiving green cards decreased from 127,010 in 2022 to 66,800 in 2024. This trend follows previous administration attempts to restrict skilled immigration, such as the proposal to increase H-1B visa fees to $100,000, a measure subsequently invalidated by a federal court in Massachusetts. Consequently, the proposed fee increments may further influence the residency strategies of the approximately 6.7 million Indians currently residing in the United States.
此次財政轉向發生在印度國民獲取合法永久居留權人數記錄性下降之際。數據顯示，獲得綠卡的印度人數從 2022 年的 127,010 人減少至 2024 年的 66,800 人。這一趨勢繼承了前任政府限制技術移民的嘗試，例如擬將 H-1B 簽證費增加至 10 萬美元，但該措施隨後被麻薩諸塞州聯邦法院判定無效。因此，擬議的費用增加可能會進一步影響目前居住在美國的約 670 萬印度人的居留策略。
Institutional perspectives on this policy diverge. DHS officials characterize the adjustment as a routine measure to ensure cost recovery for the most significant immigration benefit. Conversely, critics, including former DHS official Adam Klein, posit that such financial barriers may impede the socio-economic integration and civic participation of lower-income applicants, potentially contradicting long-term public policy objectives regarding immigrant mobility.
機構對此政策的看法分歧。DHS 官員將此次調整定義為一項常規措施，以確保最重大移民福利的成本回收。相反，包括前 DHS 官員 Adam Klein 在內的批評者認為，此類財務障礙可能會阻礙低收入申請者的社會經濟融合與公民參與，可能與移民流動性的長期公共政策目標相抵觸。
Conclusion
The proposed fee increases are currently subject to a mandatory 60-day public comment period before potential implementation.
擬議的費用增加在潛在實施前，目前須經過強制性的 60 天公眾評論期。
Vocabulary Learning
The Architecture of 'Bureaucratic Euphemism' & Nominalization
To transition from B2 to C2, a student must move beyond describing an action to framing a concept. The provided text is a masterclass in Administrative Formalism, where the author deliberately strips away the 'human actor' to create an aura of institutional inevitability.
1. The 'Erasure of Agency' via Passive & Nominal Structures
Observe the phrase: "The proposed fee increments may further influence the residency strategies..."
- B2 approach: "The government is raising fees, which might make Indians change how they get residency."
- C2 nuance: The subject is not the government (the actor), but the increments (the abstract concept). By making the "increments" the subject, the text detaches the policy from the politician, presenting the price hike as a mathematical or systemic reality rather than a conscious decision.
2. Lexical Precision: The 'Dignified' Verb
C2 mastery requires replacing common verbs with high-precision, low-frequency alternatives that signal academic authority.
| B2/C1 Equivalent | C2 Institutional Alternative | Contextual Function |
|---|---|---|
| Go up | Ascend | Implies a formal, structured increase. |
| Argue/Say | Posit | Suggests a theoretical claim based on logic. |
| Be different | Diverge | Indicates a formal splitting of perspectives. |
| Stop/Block | Impede | Describes a gradual or structural hindrance. |
3. The Syntactic Pivot: Conversely and Consequently
Notice the placement of these transition markers. They do not merely link sentences; they manage the intellectual trajectory of the argument.
- "Consequently" here bridges a statistical decline (data) to a behavioral projection (strategy). It transforms a simple list of facts into a causal narrative.
- "Conversely" is used to pivot from the official institutional line (cost recovery) to the critical analytical line (socio-economic barriers). This creates a balanced, dialectic structure essential for C2-level essays and reports.
C2 Key Takeaway: Mastery is found in the ability to use Nominalization (turning verbs into nouns, e.g., "adjustment," "acquisition," "implementation") to shift the focus from who is doing what to what is occurring systemically.