How To Utilize Your Familial Ties in Italy for Citizenship
The idea of dual citizenship is an alluring one for Americans. Most of them look forward to immigrating to the EU to experience a European lifestyle. However, getting a second passport is easier said than done. But some countries open it up to people with ancestral ties there, and Italy is one of them. Not surprisingly, it is one of the most popular destinations for Americans as a large percentage of the population has Italian roots. According to the team of Italiancitizenshipbydescent.com, you can fulfill your Italian dream easily through the descent route. Here are the steps that can take you a step closer to Italian citizenship through your familial ties.
Trace your roots in Italy
Before going ahead with the process, you will have to trace your roots in Italy. Things are pretty straightforward if either or both of your parents are Italian citizens. The good thing is that even adopted individuals qualify. If you wish to claim through grandparents or great-grandparents, you have to establish that they were alive and citizens of the country before its unification in 1861. Additionally, they shouldn’t have been naturalized before giving birth to the next person in line. The situation will differ if your Italian ancestor is female, as you can qualify only through a woman who gave birth after 1948. If she had her child before the year, you have to apply through a court process under the 1948 Rule.
Validate your Italian connection
The next step requires you to validate your Italian connection with documents because the authorities will not take your word for it. Typically, you will have to follow a long checklist of documents to complete the second passport process. The most challenging part is gathering the local certificates from the comune of your Italian ancestor. These include proofs of birth, death, and marriage. You will also require to submit your ID documents and proof of naturalization of your ancestor, if relevant. Besides obtaining these documents, you will also have to get them translated to Italian and legalized with an apostille stamp.
Apply for Jure Sanguinis
After tracing your roots and validating your connections in Italy, you are ready for the application. The good thing is that you need not travel to Italy to apply, though you have an option to do it for an expedited process. You can apply for Jure Sanguinis at your local Italian consulate as well. After applying, you have to wait for an appointment. The wait can be daunting because consulates often have long queues of pending applications. Expect to get an appointment after a few months or even a year. Once you get your appointment, you have to appear for an interview and present your documents for closing the process.
Getting Italian citizenship by descent becomes easier if you have a professional guiding you. Collaborating with an expert also gives you an advantage with local paperwork. Moreover, they can ensure no errors and omissions. It is definitely a wise move as you have the confidence and peace of mind about closing the process at the earliest.
Thank you,
Glenda, Charlie and David Cates
