If you are interested in determining your eligibility to apply for Italian citizenship by descent you will be happy to know that our team at ICA can offer a free preliminary assessment of your case, which is completely free of charge and obligation.
The assessment entails studying your family tree based on the information you provide us by filling out our so-called Family Chart. So what is a family chart and what do you need to know in order to complete it with the necessary information? This article will focus on ICA’s preliminary assessment and it will guide you through all the steps needed to verify your Italian lineage.
What is a family chart?
A family chart is a document which you can fill out with information regarding your Italian ancestry. You will need to include details regarding your name, place of birth, current address and date of marriage, if applicable. The address enables us to determine which consulate you will be applying to as applicants need to submit their citizenship application at the Italian consulate that covers the jurisdiction where they reside.
If you are married and have children, you can list both your spouse and your children’s names and dates of birth. The reason for this is that if you have minor children they will be automatically included in your application and they will become Italian citizens when you are granted citizenship, provided that you submit certified copies of their birth certificates with Apostille and translation. On the other hand, if you have adult children who are interested in applying for Italian citizenship they will not be automatically included in your application as Italian consulates require each adult applicant to file his/her own application. However, if you and your adult children reside under the same consular jurisdiction you will be able to apply via the same consulate but you will need separate appointments. On the other hand, if you live under different consular jurisdictions you will need to apply via different consulates, and you will all need to provide the consulate with certified copies of the vital records pertaining to the individuals in your Italian lineage, starting from the ancestor who was born in Italy and later emigrated to the United States. If you would like to learn more about applying for Italian citizenship with your children, you will find a detailed article about the topic here.
Having said this, the family chart will also have blank spaces for you to fill out with information regarding your parents, grandparents and great-great grandparent’s dates of birth, marriage and death. Please note that there is no limit in the number of generations one can go back in order to apply for Italian citizenship.
If you were married more than once, you can list the information regarding your previous marriages and divorces. This information is important as Italian consulates require applicants to provide all of their vital records. In other words, once you are recognized as an Italian citizen, you will be considered an Italian citizen since birth and thus the Italian government will need to have all your vital records on file.
What if you do not hold all of the necessary information to fill out the chart?
Please note that if you do not hold some of the information you need in order to fill out the family chart, it will not be an issue as our client intake team will carry out genealogical research to locate the missing information. Nonetheless, it is advisable to complete the family chart to the best of your knowledge as it will help the client intake team locate the records and the information needed to determine your eligibility.
Often, we find that clients do not hold much information regarding their Italian ancestor’s naturalization or non-naturalization records, however, if you provide us with your ancestor’s name and approximate date of birth, our genealogy team will carry out extensive research to determine whether your Italian ancestor became a U.S. citizen and when the naturalization occurred, if applicable.
What if you have Italian ancestry on both sides of your family
If you have Italian ancestry on both sides of your family you can submit two family charts and our client intake team will determine the best pathway for you to apply for citizenship. This will be dependent on how much information is available for both lineages and on their viability. Generally speaking, if you have a consular case on one side and a 1948 case on the other side, it is advisable to apply via a consular case as 1948 cases are judicial proceedings which must be filed in a court in Italy. When our client intake team assesses your family chart, they will provide you with thorough information regarding the options that may be available to you.
How can you submit a family chart?
We generally send our family chart via email and you are free to return it at your convenience. However, if you wish to mail it to us you can send it to one of our offices in the United States. In addition to sharing your family chart, you are welcome to provide us with the scans of the records you currently hold as they will help us look into all the fine details about your case.
How long does an assessment take?
On average, it takes one to three weeks for us to provide potential applicants with an assessment. However, if a case is very complex and further research is needed, an assessment can also take up to four weeks.
Once you send us your family chart the client intake team will assess it and carry out genealogical research in order to locate missing information or the scans of the vital records that you will need in order to apply for citizenship. The client intake team will then share these scans once they provide you with the outcome of your assessment.
If you are eligible to apply, they will provide you with a list of documents which will need to be collected as part of the application process, as well as with a list of our services (e.g. full assistance package, step-by-step package) and the corresponding fees. The client intake team will also ask you whether there are any family members who would like to join your application in order to provide you with our group and family fees.
Are you ready to determine your eligibility? Contact our team today for a free eligibility assessment at [email protected]. We will be happy to help you.
