Descending from Italian great-grandparents on both my mother’s and father’s sides, I always wondered if I was eligible for Italian citizenship. No one in my family from my grandparents’ generation down had ever looked into it or done the process. Finally, when I was 33, I got inspired (and jealous) after meeting someone who had just gotten his Italian citizenship. I wanted to do it, too! He mentioned he had used a service to help with the gathering and organizing of all the documents, and once I knew that was a possibility, I was off to the races! Some snooping around on Google led me to ICA, and based on their incredible reviews, I knew they were the service for me.
My citizenship journey began in January 2020 when I submitted my eligibility assessment and learned I was indeed eligible for Italian citizenship. Little did I know that the health emergency was about to make that journey a little tougher.
Two months into the process, when the world shut down, it became clear that things would take longer than expected due to government offices being closed and the extreme wait times and backlogs that resulted. My initial consulate appointment was scheduled for February 2022 – a bit optimistic in hindsight given the circumstances. Thankfully, I was allowed to postpone the appointment twice and finally submitted my application in February 2023. Ten months later, in December 2023, I got word from the consulate that my application was approved and I had been registered as an Italian citizen!
Getting to visit the Italian consulate in New York City for my passport application was so much fun – I felt like part of a bigger Italian family, not just my own. It made the whole thing finally feel real, and when my passport arrived just two days later, I nearly cried.
Overall, the experience was about as painless as could be. There were a few things my parents and I had to handle on our own – like getting amended documents notarized – but nothing nearly as complicated as it would have been without ICA. My case manager Dea was always so clear and helpful with directions that nothing was too much of a hassle.
Now that I have an Italian passport, I can’t wait to use the EU citizen lanes at EU airport customs! All joking aside, my husband and I have always talked about retiring in Europe, and as an Italian and EU citizen, it feels like the world has opened up in a huge way. Who knows – maybe we’ll end up there even sooner.
I truly could not have done this journey without the help of ICA and my wonderful case manager, Dea Marzic. The insane amount of work the team put into researching my family and digging up documents from 100+ years ago – it’s incredible and nothing I would ever have had the time, patience, or ability to do on my own. Dea could not have been more responsive and helpful with all my questions along the way. I’ve recommended ICA to numerous friends, family members, and colleagues already and will continue to shout my praise from the rooftops! They are phenomenal.
Written by Gina V.
Gina has agreed to serve as a subject of this success story and has granted ICA the right to use her name and image.
