USCIS Naturalization/FOIA

[DaniVerde]

Hi,

I'm doing all of this from Helsinki, Finland.

NARA and the NY County Clerks have returned No Records Found to me, but USCIS has returned an A-file. I'll need to file a FOIA to get it, since it's from after 1956.

Does anyone know how long this would take (approx)? And does the existence of the A-fil mean naturalization?

Thank you!

[DaniVerde]

Anyone?

[BCasa]

By a file are you meaning they have an a#? If so this would not mean citizenship residents are given a's upon entering the US. When they become citizens that same a# is listed on their certificate of naturalization.

[DaniVerde]

Yes, there's a file with an a#, but no record of a file with a c#...

[DaniVerde]

And to make matters even more interesting, the person with the A-file was born an American citizen in Italy (American mother, Italian father) in 1940, and came to the US at age 16 on a US passport...

Why would they have an A-file?

[BCasa]

That I'm not sure usually they would just have a birth certificat of a us citizen born abroad. From what I know.

[DaniVerde]

I was beginning to wonder if that could possibly be the contents of this file: a birth abroad certificate...

Has anyone had any experience with this? Or with making a FOIA request?

[BCasa]

This is the agency that issues certificates for us citizen born abroad foia request

http://www.state.gov/m/a/ips/

[MisterC]

I was beginning to wonder if that could possibly be the contents of this file: a birth abroad certificate...

Has anyone had any experience with this? Or with making a FOIA request?

Hi DaniVerde,

Any progress with your FOIA request?

I am also in the same boat as you. I did a search for my grandmother, and no C-file was found, only an A-file. She also was technically a US Citizen from birth even though she was born in Italy, since her father had naturalized prior to her birth.

I am wondering what the A-file could possibly contain, and whether or not it could make or break my case.

I've heard the FOIA requests take quite some time also.

I'd love to hear about your experience with this. Thanks!!

[ktpoloni]

I have never done the FOIA request, but this guy wrote a very detailed blog post about how he went about it.

http://www.shutterburgh.com/the-new-har ... naturally/

[DaniVerde]

Hi MisterC!

I just got back the results today....that was a 7 month processing time, and it was on the "Fast Track" :p

The contents were exactly as I'd guessed-a Certificate of Citizenship, which was issued instead of a Certificate of Birth Abroad. So in other words, all the family stories were accurate, and my dad was a "Dual Citizen" from birth, and I should be good to go!


The results were sent to me on a CD-a scan, decent enough quality

MisterC, out of curiosity, if your grandma wasn't an Italian citizen at birth, how are you claiming? Is she not in your direct line?

[jennabet]

Hi MisterC!

I just got back the results today....that was a 7 month processing time, and it was on the "Fast Track" :p

The contents were exactly as I'd guessed-a Certificate of Citizenship, which was issued instead of a Certificate of Birth Abroad. So in other words, all the family stories were accurate, and my dad was a "Dual Citizen" from birth, and I should be good to go!


The results were sent to me on a CD-a scan, decent enough quality

MisterC, out of curiosity, if your grandma wasn't an Italian citizen at birth, how are you claiming? Is she not in your direct line?

Just to clarify, if a child is born in Italy before 1948 to an Italian father, child loses Italian citizenship when an absent father naturalizes while child is still in Italy. Minor child does not have to enter the USA for Italian citizenship to be lost. If child remains in Italy until age of majority, child is given the opportunity to renounce newly acquired citizenship and choose Italian instead.

[DaniVerde]

Hi MisterC!

I just got back the results today....that was a 7 month processing time, and it was on the "Fast Track" :p

The contents were exactly as I'd guessed-a Certificate of Citizenship, which was issued instead of a Certificate of Birth Abroad. So in other words, all the family stories were accurate, and my dad was a "Dual Citizen" from birth, and I should be good to go!


The results were sent to me on a CD-a scan, decent enough quality

MisterC, out of curiosity, if your grandma wasn't an Italian citizen at birth, how are you claiming? Is she not in your direct line?

Just to clarify, if a child is born in Italy before 1948 to an Italian father, child loses Italian citizenship when an absent father naturalizes while child is still in Italy. Minor child does not have to enter the USA for Italian citizenship to be lost. If child remains in Italy until age of majority, child is given the opportunity to renounce newly acquired citizenship and choose Italian instead.

Just to clarify, none of that actually pertains to me.

My father was born from an American mother and Italian father in 1940 in Italy, and went to the US at the age of 16, using his US passport, by himself, to make a new life.

His parents never came to the US.