Applying for Italian citizenship can be complicated. One of the reasons this is true is due to the number of people trying to obtain Italian citizenship It can even take quite a lot of effort just to schedule an initial appointment. To give you a sense of how many people are applying for Italian citizenship, at the time of the writing of this article, the current wait time for the next available initial appointments to apply for Italian citizenship at the NYC consulate is generally about 18 months. This is not unusual; at the San Francisco consulate it can be roughly 24 months, and so on… The current situation is quite different from the past when consulates used to avail themselves to help and support applicants. Applying for Italian citizenship can also be quite labor-intensive. There is a common belief that simply submitting just “some” documents to the consulate is sufficient, which is unfortunately not the case.
Consulates are now trying to delay or hinder as many applications as possible due to the large number of applicants there are. They seem to be overwhelmed as a result of this new workload created by having so many applications and now carefully vet every application. There is also the issue of the many benefits that new citizens will be able to take advantage of once an applicant might acquire Italian citizenship.
There are various factors which may cause the rejection of an application not properly prepared. The reasons are usually due to misspellings or discrepancies in first names, middle names, last names or dates. While gathering documents, it is important to ensure that you acquire your documents in the correct format. It should be noted that documents submitted in their “short” or other incorrect formats as well as “incomplete documentation” may also lead to delays or the possibility of dismissal of your application.
It can be very easy to eliminate some of these issues by doing your own research or to get assistance by working with one of our dual citizenship experts. Following all the instructions and rules is an absolute must. If you would like for someone to be there with you to ensure you have everything that you need, our dual citizenship experts are available to be your personal “go-to” whenever you have a question. To get in contact with us here at ICA click here
Please note that the process of evaluation of the documents needed for Italian citizenship is very much up to the discretion of the individual representative of the Italian government that you will directly be dealing with. The laws in place for acquisition of Italian citizenship by descent are not always the most defined and as a consequence of this, when the clerk evaluates your documents, he/she does not have a strict set of guidelines to follow other than making sure the main requirements are met. Other than the main requirements, everything else is dependent upon the individual clerk’s interpretation of the Italian regulations on citizenship.. Even though it is highly advisable to have any and all discrepancies addressed before the appointment (such as spellings of names) there are times when some clerks may accept documents that may contain some minor discrepancies and others who may not be as understanding of the situation. The evaluation is based upon his/her personal opinion and interpretation of the laws.
Even though our firm is extremely familiar with the citizenship process, we can only provide the best advice on the most probable outcome based on our experience, bearing in mind that there are no specific rules for various aspects of the process and the consistency of the rules followed. In other words, not all discrepancies are an obstacle to granting Italian citizenship it can very much depend on the clerk. The “rules” followed even within the same office may change from clerk to clerk. There is the chance you may find a clerk who is more lenient. Regardless, it is worthwhile to be proactive and we highly recommend being well prepared before moving forward so you don’t run the risk of being sent home and having to start taking care of corrections or worse case scenario being completely rejected.
We are here for you at ICA to make your application as “acceptable” by the Italian government as possible. Many firms will only gather documents but will not be able to help you get your “citizenship packet” put together in the best way possible. Being organized and able to present all the documentation in a clear, ‘user-friendly ‘ manner will give you the best chance of a positive outcome. Many firms often omit an assessment of said documents and do not perform any correction procedure. This is a process we spend a significant amount of time working on. Often, we are able to make all the records consistent because of our experience and knowledge of the citizenship process and we know what to look for. We have the experience and training to be able to determine what may be problematic and what could constitute an issue for the official examining your documents.
