Millions of Americans can trace their roots back to Italy, and it is one of the reasons the country is a preferred dual citizenship destination in the US. If you have at least one Italian ancestor, you can get an Italian passport through the citizenship by descent program. The good thing is that the program is far more liberal than the descent programs of other nations. It lets you go back three generations to establish your lineage.
You will be delighted to know that the descent route will entitle you to reclaim your roots and reunite with your extended family in Italy without a lot of work. Moreover, you can pass citizenship rights automatically to the coming generations. But before you get started, you must understand the nuances of the process so that you are all set to do things right and complete it at the earliest. Let us explain all that you need to know about Italian citizenship by descent.
Understanding Jure Sanguinis
Italian citizenship by descent, also known as Jure Sanguinis, is a complex subject, but it is worth pursuing if you want to reclaim your ancestral roots in the country. Jure Sanguinis means blood right and is the general principle of citizenship law. Under this principle, the nationality of either of the parents at the time of the birth of the child determines their citizenship.
The child may automatically be a citizen of a country, regardless of the place of birth, if either or both the parents have citizenship of that country. Many countries across the world apply the Jure Sanguinis principle in their nationality laws, and Italy is one of these. So being born to an Italian parent or even having a lineage beyond your parents could qualify you automatically for citizenship of the country.
The first steps
It is worth preparing a bit before you dive into the application process for getting back to your ancestral roots in Italy. The first thing you must do is to make a note of the important dates and places of births, deaths, and marriages of your Italian ancestors and the family members in the Italian line of descent.
The exact dates when your Italian-born ancestor(s) became naturalized US citizens will also be required. After you gather these vital pieces of information, you must assess your eligibility according to the criteria. It is best to consult a citizenship expert to find whether you are eligible because it decides the validity of your application.
Criteria for eligibility
Even as you should consult an expert for evaluating your eligibility to apply for Italian citizenship by descent, you must know the criteria at your end. Here are the requirements you have to fulfill:
• You are of Italian descent; alternatively, you will also be eligible if you were adopted by an individual of Italian descent as a minor. It means that you should have been 21 if adopted before 1975 or 18 if adopted after 1975.
• Your Italian-born ancestor was alive and a citizen of the country after its formation and unification in 1861.
• The Italian-born ancestor never lost Italian citizenship by naturalization in another country. Even if they naturalized, it happened only after the birth of their child who is the next person in the Italian lineage.
Exceptions to the eligibility criteria
Even as you qualify for Italian citizenship by descent according to the aforementioned criteria, you may not be allowed to apply because there are some exceptions to the general rule. People who have voluntarily renounced Italian citizenship prior to August 15, 1992, are disqualified. Other factors that make you ineligible are as follows:
• Your Italian-born ancestor got naturalized before June 14, 1912.
• You were born before 1948, and your Italian legal parent is female.
• You have an Italian female in your lineage, and her child was born before January 1, 1948.
If your case comes in the last two categories, you may pursue citizenship via the court system of Italy. Considering the complexity of eligibility and exceptions, it’s always better to hire an Italian Immigration Attorney for qualified assistance on Italian Citizenship to guide you with the process. They can help in understanding your eligibility for application. They can also offer other alternatives if citizenship by descent does not work for you.
Documents for application
If you are sure about your eligibility, you must start gathering the required legal documents before applying for the second passport. The U.S.-issued vital records such as birth, death, and marriage certificates must be certified long-form copies. Additionally, they must have the official seal of the Registrar’s Office along with the date when they were filed. The documents must not be photocopies, and they must have an affixed Apostille to be valid. Further, they must all be translated into Italian. Here is the list of documents you will require for the process:
• A copy of passport and driver’s license
• Birth certificate
• Proof of residency
• Birth certificate of the Italian-born ascendant, issued by comune in Italy
• Birth certificate of every relevant ancestor
• Death certificates
• Marriage certificates
• Divorce judgments if applicable in the case
• A copy of the Declaration of Petition for Naturalization by the National Archive
• Naturalization certificate of your ancestor if they were naturalized in the US
• An application form
If your ancestor never naturalized in the US, you will have to provide the following documents:
• Original certificate issued by US Citizenship and Immigration Services to validate the non-existence of records
• Copy of the census immediately after the birth of the direct descent in the US
The list sounds long and daunting, and tasks such as identifying, obtaining, authenticating, and translating the documents make it even more time-consuming and complicated. A tiniest error and omission can have an adverse impact on the approval status of your application. So it makes sense to get assistance from Italian Citizenship experts to handle the documentation and complete the process for you. With experts looking after the details, you can be stress-free about completing the process at the earliest and without any hitches.
Moving ahead with the application process
Once you have all the documents and records in place, you can go ahead to fill the forms and set up an appointment at the nearest Italian Consulate to take the application process to the next stage. You will find it to be a slow and dragged-out process, with a year-long wait for an appointment. If you want to expedite the process, consider traveling to Italy and applying from within the country. The option also lets you set up a legal residence in the country while the application is in progress. It will also serve the benefit of an easy transition to Italian citizenship once you move there for good.
Why is the effort worthwhile?
Even as the process of obtaining Italian citizenship by descent seems lengthy and cumbersome, it is worth the effort. While a second passport will let you reclaim your roots and live in the land of your origin, there are several benefits you can avail. These include:
• You get the right to live and work here and in all other countries of the European Union, which can bring several opportunities on the career front.
• You can travel visa-free through the EU, so you need not worry about long and complicated visa processes no matter what your destination is.
• You have access to affordable education as Italy is known for its high-quality education system that fits in the budget too. Moreover, several universities in the EU countries even offer free college education for EU citizens.
• Italy also has one of the best and more affordable health care systems in the world. It means that you need not worry about expensive treatments and insurance any more.
• You will not have to face hassle while buying property or accepting inheritance in the country once you are a valid citizen.
• The citizenship passes automatically to your future generations, and they can relish the rich culture and heritage of the place of their origin.
Obtaining Italian Citizenship is a good decision, and you must make efforts to claim your ancestral rights if you are eligible. However, even those who don’t have a lineage in the country can explore options to obtain a dual passport. Here are the ones you can consider:
• Citizenship by marriage
• Citizenship by naturalization
• Citizenship by investment
An Italian citizenship expert is the best person to help you weigh these options and decide the one that will be ideal according to your circumstances. Each of these has eligibility norms, documentation requirements, and application processes. It is vital to have everything in place before moving ahead with the process because preparation sets you up for timely and stress-free completion and approval. Having an expert guiding you along the way is a definite advantage because they ensure that you never miss out on anything.
