Hi, all! I have two questions and I'm hoping someone out there will be able to help. I am seeking Italian citizenship through my grandmother. She became a U.S. citizen in 1952 (and my mother was born in the U.S. in 1951, so there's no problem there).
1) I requested a copy of her naturalization certificate from the INS using the G-639 (I believe) form. It arrived yesterday, along with her application for citizenship. This was very exciting, but... There is no seal or stamp or anything to show that it's a certified form. Just plain photocopies. Is this what I should have received? I'm weary to make another request, as this took about 2-3 months to arrive.
2) Her birthdate on her naturalization certificate is 23 December. Her birth certificate and marriage certificate, which I requested from her comune in Italy, say her birthdate is 24 December. I don't know how I would go about correcting either the INS or Italy. Any advice?
Thank you for your help in advance.
Naturalization / birthdate
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cercatrice
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Re: Naturalization / birthdate
I would recommend that you consult an attorney at www.italianlaw.net since you would not want to do anything to have your application for Italian citizenship denied and then endure the long waiting period before permissionis granted to reapply. Getting advice form people on the forum is good but it has to be confirmed by someone in authoirity since rules, regulations, policy and procedures of the Italian government change operiodically. Peter
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cercatrice
- Newbie
- Posts: 4
- Joined: 11 Jan 2005, 00:00
- Contact:
Re: Naturalization / birthdate
Thanks for the advice, Peter. I will consult an attorney, but if anyone else has advice or anecdotes in the meanwhile it'd be appreciated. Thanks!
Re: Naturalization / birthdate
There are websites you can also consult on the internet under acquiring italian citizenship or google.com as well. Peter
Re: Naturalization / birthdate
Q 1)
You need to make another request, this time for a 'certified' copy, with a seal.
Make the request - Your wearyness hasn't started yet:
The delay of 2 to 3 months - not too bad. Many consulates are way backlogged processing dual citizenship requests. For example, the S.F. consulate has a 5 month lag time for an appointment to deliver docs for dual citizenship (they must be delivered in person).
Then there may be several more visits, over a period of 6 to 12 months, getting the docs just right, obtaining official translations, etc. Once accepted, your application for dual citizenship may take up to 2 years to process.
Q 2)
a) If her birth certificate in Italy says 24 Dec, then that is her birth date and there is nothing to correct in Italy.
b) If she is still alive, she probably can correct the error on the naturalization certificate - contact DHS/INS BCIS.
c) If she is not alive: DHS/INS will no longer allow corrections to their records with info that is not already in their file. Some people have had dual citizenship success with the Italian consulates by having a lawyer prepare a court order, having a judge sign it, then including it along with the naturalizaton certificate. Just takes a little time and money.
d) Please note that each Italian consulate in the US varies slightly their requirements for dual citizenship applications - you need to contact the one with jurisdiction over the area where you live and ask them what they would accept in place of a correction of the naturalization certificate.
PS: I'm not sure of the birth date of your grandmother, but I think that your mother could only inherit her Italian citizenship from her mother if her mother was born after 1948. Before 1948, according to Italian law, a woman did not pass her Italian citizenship to her children.
You need to make another request, this time for a 'certified' copy, with a seal.
Make the request - Your wearyness hasn't started yet:
The delay of 2 to 3 months - not too bad. Many consulates are way backlogged processing dual citizenship requests. For example, the S.F. consulate has a 5 month lag time for an appointment to deliver docs for dual citizenship (they must be delivered in person).
Then there may be several more visits, over a period of 6 to 12 months, getting the docs just right, obtaining official translations, etc. Once accepted, your application for dual citizenship may take up to 2 years to process.
Q 2)
a) If her birth certificate in Italy says 24 Dec, then that is her birth date and there is nothing to correct in Italy.
b) If she is still alive, she probably can correct the error on the naturalization certificate - contact DHS/INS BCIS.
c) If she is not alive: DHS/INS will no longer allow corrections to their records with info that is not already in their file. Some people have had dual citizenship success with the Italian consulates by having a lawyer prepare a court order, having a judge sign it, then including it along with the naturalizaton certificate. Just takes a little time and money.
d) Please note that each Italian consulate in the US varies slightly their requirements for dual citizenship applications - you need to contact the one with jurisdiction over the area where you live and ask them what they would accept in place of a correction of the naturalization certificate.
PS: I'm not sure of the birth date of your grandmother, but I think that your mother could only inherit her Italian citizenship from her mother if her mother was born after 1948. Before 1948, according to Italian law, a woman did not pass her Italian citizenship to her children.
