It is now 80 percent cheaper for Americans who choose to renounce their U.S. citizenship to make it official.
The U.S. State Department on Friday published a rule that cut the cost from $2,350 to $450 after it was promised in 2023. However, the rule did not take effect until now, the Associated Press (AP) reported.
“The Department of State (‘Department’) is proposing to amend the Schedule of Fees for Consular Services (‘Schedule’) to reduce the current fee for Administrative Processing of a Request for a Certificate of Loss of Nationality of the United States (CLN) from $2,350 to $450,” the rule on the Federal Register website read.
The cost is once again what it was in 2010 when federal officials began charging a fee for the action, the AP report said.
“The fee was raised from $450 to $2,350 in 2015 to cover the administrative expenses as the number of people wanting to renounce their citizenship surged in part due to new U.S. tax reporting requirements for American expatriates that angered many,” the article noted, adding the process to renounce one’s U.S. citizenship is not always easy.
“Applicants must repeatedly confirm in multiple written and verbal attestations to a State Department consular officer that they understand the implications of the step before being allowed to take a formal oath of renunciation. It must then be reviewed by the department,” the AP stated.
In July, President Donald Trump told legalized immigrants they were accepting the “highest responsibility” in becoming citizens, according to Breitbart News.
The president then emphasized how special the moment was for them.
“My fellow Americans, how exciting this is. Congratulations. Today, you receive one of the most priceless gifts ever granted by human hands. You become a citizen of the United States of America. What an honor,” he said:
President Trump’s United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) later strengthened its evaluation standard for foreign nationals who wanted to become citizens, and USCIS reportedly launched a plan to strip citizenship from naturalized Americans found to have fraudulently secured the legal status, according to Breitbart News.
In February, the outlet said President Trump’s administration had uncovered immigration fraud in 65 percent of cases USCIS investigated.
“During a congressional hearing this week, USCIS Director Joe Edlow told Congress that fraud investigators at the agency have cracked down on immigration fraud and have uncovered a shocking number of cases where immigrants secured visas or green cards through fraudulent means,” the Breitbart News report stated.
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