Tips for Italian Citizenship Applicants: Amendments

The Italian Consulate needs indisputable proof of the link between the applicant (you) and the Italian ancestor through whom you are obtaining Italian Dual Citizenship. What is required and expected is clearly defined on each Italian Consulate website. This means that to get to your appointment with a “near” perfect document portfolio, you will need to take care of all the discrepancies that may be present in some of your vital records.

You should start by getting the two qualifying documents, i.e. the Italian Birth Record of your Italy-born ancestor AND the Naturalization Records proving that you indeed qualify. Remember: ONLY if your Italy-born ancestor became a U.S. citizen AFTER the birth of the next-in-line child here in the U.S. or if he or she NEVER did, you qualify for Italian Citizenship. NOTE: Descendants of female ancestors must be born after January 1, 1948.

When you start gathering U.S. Vital Records, you will have to make sure they match the spellings and dates listed on the Italian Vital Record. USEFUL TIP: if the Italy-born Ancestor became a U.S. citizen, the Naturalization Records may list the name used when he or she entered the U.S. If the “Certificate of Arrival” shows the same name as on the Italian Birth Record, but the Petition shows the “Americanized” version of the name, the Petition will serve as an official name change.

In addition, a Certificate Positive-Negative (also known as “One and the Same”) issued by the Italian Town Hall can be used to certify that there is no individual born under the different names and/or dates used here in the U.S. You may also find contradictions in the place of birth in old documents. Small hamlets in Italy are now part of municipalities and you may need proof that the hamlet and the municipality are one and the same.

Since it is very common for older U.S. documents to have discrepancies regarding dates, name spellings (including middle names, or initials, suddenly appearing in other records) and places, amending these records may be your only option. Some states such as Pennsylvania, Ohio, Massachusetts, and New York require a Court Order to amend birth records of deceased individuals. You may want to select U.S. Vital Records issued in states that allow “corrections” and, if possible, request them to include “AKAs”.

The journey to Italian Dual Citizenship is not an easy one but it is possible with patience, persistence, and determination. Whether you want to do it alone or outsource it to a company like ours, we can help.

Questions? You can book your FREE Consultation at your convenience, HERE

If you already know you qualify for dual Italian citizenship, you can purchase our Start-to-Finish Program. At My Italian Family, we don’t just give advice, we handle all the purchasing and preparation of your entire portfolio of documents, whether you apply at an Italian Consulate here in the U.S. or you apply in Italy (including 1948 Challenge Courts Cases). Our experience spans the past 20 years, and we have expert knowledge of what each Italian Consulate requires, as well as what the Italian Courts require. TO GET STARTED AND FOR MORE INFORMATION, CLICK HERE.