Italy is an incredible country to live in as it offers the best climate, landscapes, lifestyle, and financial opportunities. Quality education does not cost a fortune here, and residents have access to the best healthcare facilities as well. Not surprisingly, the country attracts aspiring immigrants from around the world. Thousands of Americans try their luck with Italian immigration every year, primarily because they have ancestral connections in the country. Italy offers the citizenship by descent option for people with an Italian bloodline. It is perhaps the easiest way to get one of the most powerful passports in the world. You can. You can visit Bersani Law Firm to know more about accessing dual citizenship with this route. Here are some tips that can help you achieve the goal effortlessly.
Ensure your eligibility for Jure Sanguinis
The eligibility for citizenship by descent sounds as simple as being born to Italian parents. You qualify even through grandparents, great-grandparents, and beyond because there are no generational limits. However, the eligibility requirements can be complex if you dig deeper. You have to ensure the following-
- You must be born to a parent who is an Italian citizen or has Italian citizenship right under jure sanguinis.
- Your ancestor should have been an Italian citizen after the country's unification in 1861.
- They should not have been naturalized to another citizenship before the birth of the next in the line.
Besides these eligibility requirements, there are some exceptions to Jure Sanguinis as well. You cannot claim through this process if your ancestor was a woman and gave birth before Jan. 1, 1948. Italian law did not permit women to pass citizenship rights to their offspring before 1948. In this case, you may claim through a court process under the 1948 Rule. Additionally, people who naturalized before June 14, 1912, could not transfer their citizenship even to descendants born before they naturalized.
Sort out your paperwork
Ensuring eligibility is the first step for claiming your citizenship rights through your ancestral connections. But you cannot expect word of mouth to validate the claim. The only way to do it is with documentary evidence of your bloodline. Asking around the family helps you get a clear view of your lineage. Note down crucial dates, such as births and deaths of ancestors in your bloodlines and the year in which they naturalized in another country. Once you have all the facts, you can sort out the paperwork.
The trickiest part is getting documents from your ancestor's comune in Italy. You will have to obtain the certificates of birth, death, and marriage to establish your ancestor's Italian origin. Further, you will require naturalization records of these ancestors if they migrated to another country. These records have to be translated into Italian and legalized with an apostille stamp to be regarded as valid for the process.
Apply at the consulate
After completing the list of your ancestor's documents and your personal IDs, you can submit an application at your local Italian consulate. The good thing is that you need not travel to Italy for the process. Conversely, the waiting period for your appointment can test your patience. The queues at consulates are often long, and it may take many months or even a year to get an appointment for your interview. You have to practice patience to get through the frustrating waiting period. At the same time, ensure that there are no discrepancies and omissions in your documents as they can delay the process further.
The best way to prepare for the process is by collaborating with a citizenship professional. These experts ensure that everything is in place and there are no chances of rejection or delays. The best thing about letting them handle the process is that they can help you get the local documents with their connections in the country. Moreover, they can guide you through the entire stages of the process and make it a breeze.
Although Italian citizenship by descent is among the easiest ways to start a life in Italy, you may experience some roadblocks in the journey. The exceptions may overwhelm you at the eligibility stage, and procuring the local documents is often painful. The application process is easy, but the long wait can be daunting. Moreover, the risk of delays due to errors and missing paperwork is always there. However, you can overcome these challenges by partnering with an expert. It makes sense to collaborate with them right from the start because they can help you make the journey as smooth as possible.
