If your Italian ancestor was born in Trentino Alto Adige, Friuli-Venezia-Giulia, or Veneto, in addition to the current eligibility requirements for Italian citizenship, you must also prove that he or she emigrated from Italy AFTER July 16th, 1920. This date refers to the effectiveness of the Treaty of Saint Germain with which, at the end of WWI, the Austro-Hungarian Empire territories were assigned to various States. It is listed in the Citizenship Law 379/2000, that regulates the recognition of Italian citizenship to those born in the territories belonging to the ex Austro-Hungarian Empire, as well as to their descendants. In essence, the “Italian citizenship eligibility issue” linked to the “16 July 1920” requirement is the following: the ancestor who emigrated before 16 July 1920 expatriated as an Austro-Hungarian citizen and not as an Italian citizen (meaning he or she could not pass Italian citizenship on to their children, etc.).
If the ancestor emigrated between 25/12/1867 (when the Austro-Hungarian empire was established) and 16/07/1920 (the Treaty of Saint Germain), the recognition of citizenship had to be done according to Law 379/2000 which offered a deadline to apply, i.e. December 19, 2010. As a consequence, today, the descendants of ancestors born in the Austro-Hungarian Empire Territories, where the ancestor migrated away before July 16, 1920, cannot apply for Italian citizenship.
ONLY if the ancestor was born or emigrated after 16 July 1920, his or her descendants are eligible to apply for Italian citizenship by right of blood. Questions? We can help. SCHEDULE A TELEPHONE CONSULTATION.