Italian Dual Citizenship Update and the "no-appointment case"

[@TheJonnyP54]

My mother was going to go for a No Appointment case with the help of Smart Move Italy after the Philadelphia Consulate cancelled her 2021 appointment due to COVID (she booked it in 2019!). Miraculously, she got an email in March 2023 from the Consulate after we just started getting the ball rolling with SMI saying that they've reinstated her appointment for April 20 2023. All of her documents were already in Italy with the Italian lawyer SMI was partnered with but Terry (the SMI citizenship senior researcher) wasted no time in retrieving the documents and having them DHL'd back to us in time. The Consulate fast-tracked her application and within 48 hours of her presenting all her documents she was a confirmed Italian citizen. A little over a year later, I'm now piggybacking off of her as Philadelphia has a "first-generation" citizenship by descent option which is only available to the children of a recognized Italian citizen registered in AIRE. Had my appointment in June and waiting patiently for a response. To say this has been a wild ride would be a gross understatement! Definitely recommend Smart Move Italy though based on the interaction we had with them! Best of luck!!

[@halfitalian24]

Thank you for sharing your story and your mom's experience with Smart Move Italy. It's a great feeling knowing that we are in good hands! We appreciate your encouragement as we keep going. Ciao!

[@zeitgeist888]

Super exciting. I am in the same exact boat going through my GGF with CONE and trying for over a year to get an appointment. I decided to go through an Italian lawyer to submit my case and it should be sent to the court in the next few weeks. Collecting the documents wasn't too bad or long and no 1948 or minor issues but the appointment lottery is just insane. Looking to move to the EU in 26 and the timeline even after case is submitted will be close so trying to stay patient. I wish you both the best of luck and smooth process.

[@halfitalian24]

Yes, there is so much patience involved! It feels like an honor that this is even possible for us, which helps with the waiting. May your process go smoothly as well. Thanks for following our journey!

[@deannaolivieri1791]

I'm full Italian on both sides, and I applied in Italy in 2017 when I moved to Italy. I had wanted it for ages but it was hard to do until I finally just decided to do it, I only had 6 documents as it was my 4 grandparents who were Italian.I went through my Italian maternal grandfather. I moved to Italy and I have worked there since I moved and It's been hard but worth it.I had a cone as well but it only took 30 days to come back in 2017. In bocca al lupo ragazzi!

[@halfitalian24]

Thanks Deanna! Appreciate you telling a little about your story. So awesome that you’ve been living there. What part?

[@deannaolivieri1791]

@@halfitalian24 Hi there! Yes, it's been one heck of a ride! I first lived in my grandma's town in Avellino ( it's not far from Naples). I got 'stuck' in Italy during lockdown in that small town, it was awful. Once the pandemic was over I moved to LA BELLA NAPOLI! ( Naples) and I love it. I still go back to the little town for the annual chestnut festival and I get to see old students. I taught English there. I learned Italian fluently by living there and studying. I learned so much from my students too! I am now living 9 months in Naples and 3 months in New York. My parents are getting older and my daughter has 2 kids, and a third oneon the wayl. It's perfect because as a teacher I am off for the summer and I can come back to NY to spend time with my family. I have second cousins in Italy but my immediate family is all in New York City, I am from Staten Island.

[@debbiesdeathpile]

The consulate websites work, they’re just overwhelmed with people wanting an appointment

[@mikealetti68]

Wonderful story! All the videos of when you go back to Italia to visit your long distance relatives are really moving! My wife (from Genova) asks for more videos about food and your recepies! (It was fun to see you cook and even in Italy when you make gnocchi and gnocco fritto with salumi) Ciao ciao! Brava e bravo!

[@halfitalian24]

We are so grateful that you are following our story! Grazie!

[@EricOnYouTube]

When I wanted to get my German citizenship, I hired a german lawyer and took care of it all. It was so much easier and very quick.

[@halfitalian24]

Yes, although I didn't think we would need it at first - I am grateful we found a company we trust.

[@LanaALaBonte]

I’m wanting to do the same for Portuguese citizenship as I have been unable to locate my great grandmother’s birth certificate. I believe she snuck in but her husband came from Cape Verde which was a Portuguese territory back then. I’ve lived & worked in Italy 🇮🇹 and want to go back using the Portuguese citizenship if possible. There are so many benefits to tracing your heritage.

[@halfitalian24]

It is a fascinating journey, no matter the outcome. I can't count the amount of hours I spent getting lost in historical documents on Ancestry.com. It has always felt like a mystery to solve, looking for clues and doing my best to put the pieces of our family story together. I hope you continue to find the documents you need and enjoy the process! Thanks for following our story! Best, Sarah

[@chuckinterrante4986]

After a visit to our ancestral town in Sicily (2019) I was able to get my grandfather's Alien Case file from NARA but because of Covid it took over 18 months. My dad was born in 1937 and the first clue I had that I could be eligible was the code "AL" on the 1940 census for my grandfather (AL = Alien). I have had all of my documents for over a year now and like you I have been trying to get an appointment but unlike you I wasn't smart enough to take screenshots of my attempts...so I have no proof... For me it's probably Italy or nothing.

[@chillywit]

Are you going to Italian court because you’ve been waiting two years and still can’t get a consulate appointment?

[@halfitalian24]

Yes. Because we can not get an appointment, they are taking our case before a court in Italy.

[@nicolettastrada5976]

Intasate i già intasati tribunali italiani. That is becoming a BIG problem here because, you know, there aren’t only the Americans but also all the South Americans doing it. Are you learning the language?

[@snam85]

@@nicolettastrada5976 she shows in another video that she’s learning the language and reconnecting with her heritage. By the way, it’s much harder for Americans to do it because the U.S. prohibited dual citizenship until 1993, whereas Argentina, Uruguay or Brazil didn’t care if you had dual loyalties when immigrating. I met so many Argentinians and Brazilians in Austria while studying there and they all had Italian citizenship! I imagine the numbers of Latin Americans trying to make it to Europe through this route is sky high. And a lot of them don’t even settle in Italy-most just go to Germany or elsewhere in the EU.

[@nicolettastrada5976]

@@snam85that is what we find annoying

[@josephdlugos9823]

Can I ask- did you need just one copy of each document for everyone applying or do you need an individual copy for each person applying?

[@halfitalian24]

Yes, we only needed to submit one copy of each document for our case.

[@lovehappyadventures]

How did you request your ancestors info from the National Archives? I did some google searching but I'm not finding where I can request info? Thanks!

[@halfitalian24]

Hello! I put in a contact request on the National Archives website, asking for naturalization records for my great grandfather. You select 'ordering copies of records' and then in the 'please tell us more' box, I wrote all of his details - name, birth and death dates, etc. www.archives.gov/contact Hope that helps! Sarah

[@jamescarone9553]

I got my parents immigration docs using a free 15 day trial of ancestry.com. be sure to read the canc3llation policy

[@lovehappyadventures]

@@halfitalian24thank you so much! We requested the CONE in Feb and are still just waiting. I love that the Archives sent you so much personal info. That's really special.

[@SteveGrin]

It took me 3 months to get my appointment in Miami, but it's nearly 3 years out...

[@halfitalian24]

Yes, the wait through the consulates are intense! I hope all moves ahead without any trouble! Best of luck! - In Bocca al Lupo!

[@marxtr6]

Yeah, we’re really bummed because my wife’s grandfather naturalized a year after her uncle was born but before her father was born.

[@halfitalian24]

That is frustrating!

[@janetlombardi2314]

How much do they charge once you have your documents? Thank you

[@halfitalian24]

We are still in the process of reviewing our file - and each case (depending on the number of people in your family) is different. We paid them $500 to do a full review of all of our documents. So far, it has been worth it - there were discrepancies which we wouldn't have seen! I'd recommend a free consult call with them if you are interested. They've been very helpful.

[@janetlombardi2314]

Thank you for your reply

[@eviesyres2009]

Fantastico

[@inesterway9982]

Appointments are impossible in Philadelphia. Finally hired a lawyer to do exactly what you are doing.

[@halfitalian24]

Yes, unfortunately the consulate system doesn't seem to be working. Now that we know all that is involved with the legal documents and such, we are grateful to have professionals helping us to be prepared.

[@halfitalian24]

Best of luck to you!

[@davidk6006]

This is actually a scripted advertisement for that service mentioned at 3:00. Be aware.

[@halfitalian24]

It’s not… we’re just keeping people informed along our way of the different people/companies we’ve reached out to.

[@TravelForOne]

What makes you say that it is scripted? It seems pretty legit to me?

[@viviennepastor3188]

Great grandfather? I got my citizenship because my father was an Italian. Sorry, I think a great grandfather is too far removed.

[@halfitalian24]

Our mother is full Italian by blood.

[@viviennepastor3188]

@@halfitalian24 unless they have changed the way test for citizenship, the test when I applied was that a parent was not naturalised at the time of your birth. My father was an Italian, having never taken citizenship in Australia. This seems like a fair test to me because my father wanted to remain an Italian and not relinquish his birthright. My mother was German “by blood” because my grandfather was German. It doesn’t mean I can get German citizenship.

[@lanatur]

Italy allows citizenship by descent even up to great grandparent. As long as the great grandparent was born after 1861

[@eodfogkgkrowo2]

This "naturalised" or not, this drives me insane. Just like the 1 euro houses, Italy, you want people or not? You need to be doing the "bend over backwards" to get people to go live there, you want them or not? And so what if people naturalized or not, take into consideration people were doing what they could to survive. You created Mussolini, now right your wrongs Italy, let people move there with ease, and the rest of the world just might forgive you for changing sides in both world wars is all.