Can lack of naturalization be proven with ship manifest

[Chriserr]

About a year after my Italian grandfather was born, his Italian father (my great-grandfather) entered the US through Ellis Island. The ship manifest says that he entered as a "non-resident alien" and that he was entering for the purpose of visiting his new son. With this kind of evidence, why should a Certificate of Non-existence be necessary? Same thing with census records. Isn't the manifest quite conclusive?

[TerraLavoro]

Although you make a reasonable point, if you are applying via an Italian consulate, they are pretty rigid when it comes to acceptable documentation. With respect to an Italian-born ancestor who never naturalized in the USA, the following is what you'll see on their web sites:

In case your Italian born ancestor never naturalized US citizen, please provide:

ORIGINAL CERTIFICATE OF NONEXISTENCE OF RECORDS issued by the U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services (www.uscis.gov) no translation is required;

COPY OF THE CENSUS first available immediately after the birth in the US of the direct descent (www.census.gov) no translation is required.

I have dealt with officials in both the Boston and Los Angeles consulates, and I join the general consensus that the officials "want what they want". Good luck.

[Chriserr]

Thank you very much!

[afecad]

Even if the Census form(s) note "NA" this will flag your ancestor and NARA will still mention "census" in their letter of no document exists. I am in that situation currently, if it was past 1912 it's not the same as if prior in my case it was before 1912.