After seven years in the United States, 18-year-old Erik Hernandez is hoping he'll soon become a citizen of the country he calls home.

Hernandez, along with dozens of other Salt Lake City Hispanics, was at the Poder Para La Familia Hispana center on Redwood Road Tuesday seeking free legal advice and help in applying for citizenship.

Hernandez's parents are also applying for citizenship, and his younger brother plans to when he is old enough. Hernandez is working to save money to go to college, he said.

"It's good for me and it's good for my future to become a U.S. citizen," he said.

The citizenship drive was held by Proyecto Latino de Utah to help legal residents apply for citizenship before a $275 fee increase takes effect Monday, said Marlene F. Gonzalez, an attorney who volunteers at the center. Applying for citizenship now costs $400, but on Monday, the price will increase to $675.

Gonzalez said many of the applicants have lived legally in the United States for years without applying for citizenship but have finally decided to apply to avoid the increasing costs. One applicant had been a permanent resident since 1964, and another since 1968 without applying for citizenship, Gonzalez said.

"A lot of people have been procrastinating and putting it off, thinking that it's not a big deal," she said.

To be eligible for citizenship, an immigrant must have lived legally in the United States for at least five years, or three years if married to a U.S. citizen. Would-be citizens must fill out a 10-page application, which asks about marital and family information, as well as any criminal history.

Once the application is received, the applicant takes a brief test on U.S. history and civics and undergoes an interview. If the process goes well, he or she then takes the oath of citizenship in a public ceremony and becomes a citizen.

Gonzalez, who was one of two attorneys volunteering at the center Tuesday, said she sometimes advises people not to send in their citizenship applications if they have certain criminal violations. Turning in an application for citizenship could lead to deportation if a person has been convicted of more than one offense such as theft, she said.

"I think becoming a citizen is more important now more than ever," said Briana Cavion, a volunteer at the center. Cavion, who recently moved to Salt Lake City from Southern California, speaks Spanish and helped with translation. It's important for Hispanics to gain citizenship so that they can vote and impact the issues that concern them, she said.

Gonzalez, a native of the Philippines, agrees.

"The reason I'm doing this — volunteering on a holiday — is that the more immigrants we have who are citizens, the more input we can have in the debate on immigration reform," she said.

Poder Para Familia Hispana is a nonprofit organization that serves Salt Lake City's Hispanic community by providing services such as English and computer literacy classes and programs aimed at preventing juvenile crime and gang participation.

---

E-mail: dfelix@desnews.com