Standard N-400 representation at our firm is $2,000, USCIS fees separate. What the work covers, which facts make a case complex, and what to ask before signing.
Reviewed by Ekaterina Fitenko, Esq. — Florida Bar #1064536. With 20+ years of experience in the legal field, she prepares naturalization applications and interviews with clients in English and Russian.
At Fitenko Law, standard representation on Form N-400 costs $2,000, and the USCIS filing fee is paid separately. A complex case is priced by agreement after we have seen the facts, so we do not quote a number for it in advance.
The difference between the two is the record, not the amount of paper. A standard case is one where the eligibility rules are met on their face. A complex case has a fact that needs legal analysis before filing: an arrest, a long trip, a tax problem, a question about how the green card was obtained.
The reason to find that fact first is simple. Form N-400 reopens your immigration history, and an application filed by someone who should have waited can cost more than a filing fee.
An N-400 case involves a lawyer's fee and a government fee, and they go to different places. Our fee, from $2,000, pays for the legal work. The filing fee goes to USCIS, and we do not state it here because USCIS changes it; the current figure is on Form G-1055, the USCIS Fee Schedule. The full fee schedule is on our legal fees page.
The filing method can depend on the fee. According to the USCIS Form N-400 page, the form can be filed online, but a person requesting a reduced fee or a fee waiver cannot file online and must submit a paper Form N-400 with the request and its evidence.
Other out-of-pocket costs depend on the file. Certified court dispositions and certified translations of foreign documents, for example, are obtained from third parties. They are a cost of the evidence and are not part of a USCIS fee. Our broader explanation of how legal fees are structured is in what an immigration lawyer costs.
Our representation is built around finding the problem before USCIS does. Attorney Ekaterina Fitenko handles the eligibility analysis, the assembly of documents and the interview strategy herself, in English or Russian. The work runs in this order:
The written scope of your engagement is what controls, and we go over it before you retain the firm. If your case turned out to need more than a standard filing, you hear that before work starts and not after.
A standard case can be described by what is absent from it. In the typical profile, the applicant has held a green card for the required 5 years, or 3 years if married to and living with a U.S. citizen, and the statutory time is complete or within the early filing window.
The same applicant has no single trip abroad longer than 6 months in the period, enough days in the United States, and a filed tax return for every year one was required. There is no arrest record and no prior N-400 denial, and the applicant can take the English and civics tests in the ordinary way.
This profile is not a prediction of approval. USCIS still decides on the full record, and under USCIS memorandum PM-602-0188 of August 15, 2025 good moral character review is meant to be "more than a cursory mechanical review." The word "standard" describes how much legal work we expect, not the result.
A case becomes complex when a fact needs a legal answer before the form is signed. These are the facts we look for at the start, with the rule that makes each one matter. If any of them appears, the fee is discussed after the consultation.
| Fact in the file | Why it needs analysis | Rule |
|---|---|---|
| Any arrest, even with no conviction | A certified disposition is required, and conduct counts whether or not it led to an arrest or conviction. An expunged conviction still counts for immigration purposes. | 12 USCIS-PM F.1, F.2, F.3 |
| Two or more DUI convictions in the statutory period | They create a rebuttable presumption that good moral character is lacking. | 12 USCIS-PM F.5; Matter of Castillo-Perez |
| A trip longer than 6 months | More than 6 months raises a presumption of a break in continuous residence; 1 year or more breaks it. | 12 USCIS-PM D.3 |
| Unfiled or unpaid taxes | This can preclude good moral character. An arrangement with the tax authority is taken into account. | 12 USCIS-PM F.5 |
| A tax return filed as a nonresident | It may raise a rebuttable presumption of abandoning permanent residence. | 12 USCIS-PM D.3 |
| A man who did not register with Selective Service | Between 26 and 31, he may need to prove the failure was not willful. | 12 USCIS-PM D.7 |
| Unpaid support, or a sponsor's unmet Form I-864 obligation | Each can weigh against good moral character. | PM-602-0201 (November 4, 2026) |
| Doubts about how the green card was obtained | USCIS may issue a Notice to Appear if the applicant was inadmissible at adjustment or admission, or is deportable. | PM-602-0187, section VII.D |
| 3-year filing with a strained marriage | Marital union must continue from filing through the oath. | 12 USCIS-PM G.2 |
| A prior N-400 denial | The grounds must be answered, and the route chosen first. | See our N-336 article |
Public benefits deserve a precise sentence, because they cause needless fear. As of November 2026, PM-602-0201 says the lawful receipt of means-tested benefits "is not a bar" to good moral character, while also allowing an officer to weigh such receipt against the applicant in some circumstances after an individual analysis. That file is worth a lawyer's reading; it is not an automatic denial.
Character issues get their own treatment in our article on good moral character for Form N-400, and the page on our citizenship practice sets out the 5-year and 3-year requirements.
Ask about the edges of the fee, because that is where quotes differ. Two offices can name the same number and cover different work. Before you sign with anyone, including us, get answers to these questions:
A low number with narrow coverage may cost more than a higher one that includes the likely steps. A lawyer who refuses to answer these questions in writing has told you something too.
Not always. USCIS does not require one, and a person with a clean record, no long trips and comfortable English can file Form N-400 alone through a USCIS online account. Our article on when you do not need an immigration lawyer says so directly.
The case for a paid review starts where you cannot answer a question on the form with confidence. A 30-minute consultation can settle that for $200, and that amount is credited toward the fee if you go on to hire us. If the review shows your case is simple and you prefer to file yourself, that is a legitimate outcome of the meeting. The decision stays with you, and we will not talk you into hiring a lawyer where the work adds nothing.
Because the review has become deeper, and a denial can lead somewhere worse than a refiled form. These are the changes in effect as of November 2026:
For the full process, read our N-400 guide.
Standard N-400 representation starts at $2,000. A complex N-400 is priced by agreement once we know the facts.
Our initial consultation is $200 for 30 minutes. It is paid by card through a payment link before the meeting and is always credited toward your fee. We meet by Google Meet, by phone, or at our office at 11555 Heron Bay Blvd, Suite 277, Coral Springs, FL 33076. Our second office, at 600 Three Islands Blvd, Hallandale Beach, FL 33009, sees clients by prior appointment only. We take clients from other states and other countries and work with them by Google Meet.
The first step is the intake questionnaire at fitenkolaw.com/intake, so the attorney sees the facts before you speak. You can also call (305) 315-3425 or write to fitenkolaw@gmail.com. USCIS filing fees are separate from our fee; the current amounts are on Form G-1055. No lawyer may promise you a result, and we do not.
For an N-400 review, have your green card, your list of trips with dates, your last five tax returns, and any court papers at hand.
At Fitenko Law, standard N-400 representation costs $2,000, and the USCIS filing fee listed on Form G-1055 is separate. Complex cases, such as those with an arrest, a trip longer than 6 months or a tax problem, are priced by agreement after we see the facts.
No. Our fee, from $2,000, is the legal fee for standard N-400 representation. The USCIS filing fee is paid separately to the government, and its current amount is published on Form G-1055, the USCIS Fee Schedule.
Expect it to need more work than a clean file. USCIS Policy Manual Volume 12, Part F, Chapter 3 calls for a certified disposition for arrests, even without a conviction, and the facts behind the arrest can still be weighed. How much work it takes depends on the charge and the record, which is why we read the papers before naming a fee.
You can file Form N-400 yourself; USCIS does not require a lawyer. A paid consultation can be used to test your eligibility before you do. Any wider arrangement is discussed at that meeting, and we do not name a price for it here.
You get a second attempt at a reexamination, and a second failure leads to denial of the application under the rule described in USCIS Policy Alert PA-2025-24. A lawyer's fee does not pay for a result; no lawyer can promise that you will pass or that USCIS will approve the case.
Yes. Naturalization is federal, and we take clients from other states and work with them by Google Meet, including interview preparation. The price structure is the same: from $2,000 for a standard case, with a complex case priced by agreement.
Fill out the questionnaire at fitenkolaw.com/intake and book a consultation: $200 for 30 minutes, paid by card before the meeting and always credited toward your fee. You will leave knowing which category your facts fall into.
This article is informational only and is not legal advice. USCIS policy, court orders, form editions and fees change; confirm current requirements with USCIS and the Department of State before acting. Reading this page does not create an attorney-client relationship.
Fitenko Law PLLC, 11555 Heron Bay Blvd, Suite 277, Coral Springs, FL 33076 (main office); 600 Three Islands Blvd, Hallandale Beach, FL 33009 (by appointment only). Phone: (305) 315-3425. Email: fitenkolaw@gmail.com