Can you go to any consulate or 1 specific?

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chadl
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Can you go to any consulate or 1 specific?

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My brother lives out of state from where everything took place for the ancestry. Does he have to apply in the state where it all happened or can he do it from his nearest consulate?

I was wondering b/c I am going to get all the documents prepared for him while I am doing mine but was wondering if there would be any problem with this.

Thanks.
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johnnyonthespot
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Re: Can you go to any consulate or 1 specific?

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He must use the consulate which has jurisdiction over his current legal place of residence. He will be asked to prove this by presenting a current driver's license or state-issued ID card and sometimes even a current utility (gas/electric/telephone) bill showing his full name and address.

Here is a list of the US consulates and their jurisdictions: http://www.ambwashingtondc.esteri.it/Am ... consolare/

Note: full consulates only; adjunct offices and honorary vice-consulates do not process citizenship requests.
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chadl
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Re: Can you go to any consulate or 1 specific?

Post by chadl »

thanks for the response.....another ?

I plan on just getting 2 copies of all the docs needed and then having him apply at the consulate nearest him. I will be receiving my docs from Chicago and that's where I am applying....he can present these docs to his nearest consulate right?
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Re: Can you go to any consulate or 1 specific?

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Yes. [edit: to the consulate which serves his place of legal residence]

Another option would be for the two of you to figure out which consulate has the best reputation for speedy processing and someone files there first. After his/her application has been approved, the other files using only his/her birth certificate plus a reference to the first applicant's consular file number.

Yet a third option, if you have a living parent who is even remotely interested in Italian citizenship, have him or her apply first. Once that citizenship is approved, he/she simply registers the birth of all his/her children - no matter their ages - a process which takes only a matter of days or weeks to complete.
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Re: Can you go to any consulate or 1 specific?

Post by CowryShells »

Also, the nearest consulate may not be the one you should go to. It may not be the one that has jurisdiction over your state of residence. Be sure to check Carmine's link.

Edit: I also wanted to mention that some consulates allow the application process to be done entirely through the mail, especially if you live a considerable distance away.
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chadl
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Re: Can you go to any consulate or 1 specific?

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I don't think Chicago allows that and it's next to impossible to speak with someone there as they are backed up with dual cit apps until 2011! That would be great as I currently am in Spain for a couple months!!

You opened up a whole new world to me with having one of my parents do it though. I thought I read somewhere before that if your child is over 18 he has to apply himself.

I'll check the link. Thanks again! Man this is difficult!!!
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Re: Can you go to any consulate or 1 specific?

Post by johnnyonthespot »

chadl wrote:I don't think Chicago allows that and it's next to impossible to speak with someone there as they are backed up with dual cit apps until 2011! That would be great as I currently am in Spain for a couple months!!

You opened up a whole new world to me with having one of my parents do it though. I thought I read somewhere before that if your child is over 18 he has to apply himself.

I'll check the link. Thanks again! Man this is difficult!!!
When I was applying in New York in 2008, I asked about my 22 year-old son and was told he would have to apply on his own after my case had been approved.

However, what I actually did (after my own citizenship was regonized and I had my Italian passport) was to simply download the form to register a birth and sent it in along with my son's certified, translated, and apostilled birth certificate. Less than one week later he had his letter of recognition and instructions on how to apply for his passport.

I have since read of other people doing the same thing at other consulates; Los Angeles for sure - and, on another board, a poster sent an email to the Philadelphia consualte on this subject and the cryptic reply seemd to be that, yes, even at age 30, his father could register him.
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chadl
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Re: Can you go to any consulate or 1 specific?

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[quote]Another option would be for the two of you to figure out which consulate has the best reputation for speedy processing and someone files there first. After his/her application has been approved, the other files using only his/her birth certificate plus a reference to the first applicant's consular file number.[quote]

In regards to this, so i really don't need 2 copies of each then? It will be a lot cheaper if I don't. Once I get approved, he would just bring in his bc and my file number that I could get from my consulate????

Man, so many different ways to do this.

It would make since just to have one of my parents do this, and it would be cheaper, but it would suck to get an apt. finally (which as we all know could be over 1 year of wait time), and then not get accepted.

Thought I was ready to mail in all the documents I needed but now I'm second guessing my process!!
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Re: Can you go to any consulate or 1 specific?

Post by johnnyonthespot »

For speed, the fastest for all would be for a parent to get recognized and then register the children. If you go the this page on Chicago's web site ( http://www.consdetroit.esteri.it/Consol ... to_civile/ ) you will see a link for "Record Birth Certificate In Italy For Person Over 18" - so, it would seem that Chicago does allow this process.
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Re: Can you go to any consulate or 1 specific?

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I'll probably have all the document together before I even get an apt. so time isnt really an issue but money always is.

Probably easier in my case to handle it myself, unfortunately, otherwise that would be perfect. Thanks for the info though
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chadl
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Re: Can you go to any consulate or 1 specific?

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So do you think that I shouldnt ask for 2 copies of everything (1 for myself and 1 for my brother) and once I get my citizenship have him apply the way you mention above?

edit- he would be applying through Philly and me through Chicago....
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Re: Can you go to any consulate or 1 specific?

Post by chadl »

I just called and spoke to someone at the Chicago consulate and they said that we have to file separate so it's best for me to get 2 copies of everything. I just need to check to see if there would be a problem with me getting all the documents from Chicago (including the apostilles) for my brother to use at the Philly consulate.

thanks for all the feedback and help
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