Gilroy – With tougher tests and steeper fees looming in the
future, people applying for citizenship are eager to start the
process.
Gilroy – With tougher tests and steeper fees looming in the future, people applying for citizenship are eager to start the process.
“If they wait much longer, the cost is going to be almost twice as much, and the questions are going to be a lot more difficult,” explained Eleanor Villarreal, spokesperson for Rebekah Children’s Services. “Now is the time to become a citizen.”
To smooth the way, the county Citizenship Collaborative is sponsoring a Citizenship and Immigrant Pride Day Saturday in Gilroy and San Jose. Free orientations will teach applicants who’s eligible and what it takes to become a citizen, and offer initial legal assessments to applicants.
Recent changes to the process have some people scrambling to prepare applications, said Juan Gil Garcia, a Catholic Charities representative. Fees are expected to nearly double in June, and a new test planned for 2008 may be harder to pass. Some applicants have turned to ‘notarios,’ who don’t know immigration law. Garcia worries that the rush may push unprepared applicants into the process.
“If they aren’t ready, we direct them to classes,” he said. “Only they, ultimately, can determine if they’re ready.”
That’s one reason why Garcia encourages applicants to attend Saturday’s sessions. But citizenship is an urgent matter, no matter the time of year, he said.
“Becoming a citizen means establishing your rights,” he said. “Even permanent residents are expected to have almost exemplary behavior. If they do anything wrong, their rights can be stripped away. If people want to be fully protected under the law, they need to become citizens.”
