Hi Friends,
I posted once already, but thought this would be helpful for others to understand how things work in DC. I normally post on the FreeForum site, but this is great, too!
I arrived at the Embassy about 10 AM -- there was a line of people waiting to enter. They let you in one at a time through the gate. I requested to go to the consulate, and they asked me for what. I showed them my sanguinis application pages and then they took my license, copied it, gave me the copy, and gave me a visitor pass.
The 'consulate' is in the basement of the Embassy with a separate entrance. Upon entering, there was one woman ahead of me in the citizenship line. It felt great to be able to use the 'Italian Citizen' window -- really good! Once I got to the window, a nice lady asked why I was there. When I showed her my docs, she asked me to sit down and wait for the lady who processes these applications.
I had a seat on a nice leather couch and in about 10 minutes, the lady called me up (others here know her name). First, she asked for my application. On the page with all the boxes, she asked me to fill out the two boxes for my GM and M, even though I was applying through my GF. (She had me sign all the app papers and then at the end of the appointment I fixed the boxes and handed them back to the Italian Citizen window.) Then she asked for my evidence/documentation. She asked first for my GF's papers, then my dad's papers, and then my mom's papers. Luckily, she did not mention any issues (yet...) at the appointment -- she commented that I got in just under the wire, as my GF naturalized some months after my F was born.
Anyway, after about 5 minutes of window time, she hands me my papers in a clip and also asks me to add my email address. I then, stupidly, mention that I would like to do a PhD next year in Europe (very true) and so I'm curious how long the process will take. This is the VERY DEPRESSING part: she responds TWO YEARS. She said they have a big backlog. Yes, yes, I know that I was lucky to be able to do a walk-in appointment and that others here have waited nearly that long for an appointment, but I haven't read anything here about two year processing times. I have a very simple, clean-cut GF-F-Me application, and I guess was just hoping it could be sooner... I was expecting 'six months' (which I hoped would turn into two or three months as other DC folks have mentioned)...but two years, wow!
