The fees change July 30, and some immigrants are desperately looking for help to figure out their eligibility and fill out paperwork, said Barbara Szweda, Holy Cross Ministries immigration director and lawyer. But the nonprofit agency that provides low-income people with immigration legal advice during monthly clinics is already booked until September, she said.

"We're getting more calls from people," Szweda said. "We're really full. We're so backed up."

Marlene Gonzalez, a lawyer and executive director of the Multi-Cultural Legal Center, said she's not sure if immigrants know that the application fees will be doubling and tripling within the next four weeks. Her sense is the only people who know about the fee hike are attorneys and immigrant advocates who are trying to get the word out, she said.

"We [lawyers] know, but I don't know if there's been an effort to tell the public," she said. "It's not obvious to the public."

According to a U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) news release, to become a U.S. citizen, the application fee will increase by 105 percent from $330 to $675. To become a U.S. resident, it will jump by 211 percent from $325 to $1,010.

The USCIS, a fee-based agency, announced its proposal to increase fees in January in order to improve customer service, security and technology and infrastructure. The public was able to comment on it through April. The average application increase is going up by about 90 percent.

The changes are final, but Szweda said immigrants, many who work low-paying jobs in Utah, are going to find it difficult to afford the new fees. There are an estimated 200,000 immigrants statewide.

"It's outrageous, and people already have a hard time paying the fees," Szweda said.

Still, lawyers are encouraging immigrants to find out if they're eligible to change their status, fill out their paperwork and postmark it no later than July 27. At a free immigration seminar scheduled for Saturday at the Sorenson Multi-Cultural Center in Salt Lake City, Gonzalez said lawyers will be available to answer questions. She also said participants will not have to provide any personal information at the event.

jsanchez@sltrib.com