How To Ease Your Journey For Italian Citizenship By Descent
Thousands of Americans chase immigration dreams every year, and Italy is among the choicest destinations for them. One of the reasons for its popularity is that it offers the citizenship by descent option for immigrants. A significant number of Americans have Italian roots, making Jure Sanguinis a viable option for them. Even as everything sounds great, the process may get tricky down the line. You can read this page before starting the application process to have clarity and avoid doubts and misunderstandings. Knowing the process well gives you a head start and prevents errors and delays. Here are a few tips to ease your journey for Italian citizenship by descent.
Know the eligibility requirements and exceptions
Qualifying for citizenship by descent is more than having Italian parents or ancestors. Some other norms and exceptions also apply. Primarily, you are eligible through paternal bloodline if your ancestor was an Italian citizen at the time of the formation of the country in 1861. Likewise, they shouldn't have given up their citizenship by naturalization in some other country. But things may be dicey if you claim through a maternal ancestor as she may or may not have passed on their rights. A female ancestor who gave birth before 1948 does not entitle you to a valid claim. Things wouldn't work through the Jure Sanguinis route in this case. So you should move on with the 1948 Rule claim directly.
Get your documents in place
Italian citizenship by descent claims is all about robust paperwork. You will need relevant documents to establish your bloodline and claim. The best way to ease your journey is by having them ready even before applying. Getting the documents of birth, death, and marriage of your ancestor from their comune is perhaps the most challenging part. But collaborating with a local citizenship expert enables you to do it without hassles. You will also require proof of naturalization and your ID proof from the country of your residence. They have to be translated to Italian and apostilled for the process.
Apply at your local consulate
The good thing about the Jure Sanguinis process is that you need not travel to Italy for the formalities. You can apply and follow up on your second passport at your local Italian consulate. But the real reason to worry is the long waiting time for an appointment for interview and document verification. It can take as long as a year if there is a long queue of applications at the consulate. However, you can expedite the process by traveling to Italy and applying from within the country. Either way, you can obtain your citizenship if you have the documents for validating your bloodline. The authorities may ask for more documents, so be prepared for another step.
Italian citizenship by descent is perhaps the easiest route to make your way into the country. The process requires a good understanding and some patience. Even better, you can collaborate with an expert to boost your chances and ease the journey with helpful guidance.
