An insight into the different paths that you can pursue in order to become an Italian citizen
Italy witnessed large-scale emigration to the United States particularly from the south of Italy from approximately 1880 until the early 1930s. The second mass emigration to the United States took place after the end of World War II. Italians moving to the United States were driven by the hope of a better life as they pursued the so-called “American Dream”, nonetheless, they also bought with them a unique set of customs, values and deeply rooted family traditions that would contribute to shaping part of American culture.
According to the Italian Ministry of the Exterior more than 5 million Italians reside abroad, and according to the organization Migrantes, more than 80 million people around the world have Italian ancestry. In the 1990s, when the Italian government realized that its population was declining, it passed a law which allowed people with Italian descent to apply for Italian citizenship. This policy enabled many Americans with Italian descent to reconnect with their motherland and to establish firm roots with their Italian heritage.
This article aims to give an insight into the different paths that you can pursue in order to become an Italian citizen.
Italian Citizenship Jure Sanguinis (“By Right Of Blood”)
Italian citizenship jure sanguinis means that if your ancestors were born in Italy you may qualify for Italian citizenship by right of blood. It must be said that every case is assessed individually, however, if you qualify for Italian citizenship by right of blood, you can apply for citizenship at an Italian Consulate abroad by providing a number of key documents such as certified copies of your ancestors’ and your vital records. These include birth, marriage and death certificates for each ascendant in the applicant’s direct family line. However, some consulates may require documents pertaining to individuals who are not part of the direct family line. Once all of these documents have been collected, they must be translated into Italian and legalized with an Apostille seal, which is an internationally recognized certification added to documents so that they are formally recognized when presented in another country. While the process may sound quite daunting, if you decide to apply through a specialized team of Italian citizenship experts, the entire process will be much easier. This is where Italian Citizenship assistance can step in. ItalianCitizenshipAssistance.com has years of experience with helping individuals with Italian descent to acquire Italian citizenship.
Italian Citizenship By Marriage And Rcsideny
The process of applying for Italian citizenship can also be extended to people who do not have Italian ancestors; in other words, spouses of Italian citizens can also be granted Italian citizenship and can thus relocate to Italy and reside in the country without any restrictions. This comes with several benefits, such as being able to access free healthcare and education and move freely within the EU’s Member States. Arguably, the process of applying for Italian citizenship through marriage is more straightforward than applying for citizenship by descent. If you are married to an Italian citizen and you reside in Italy, you can apply for Italian citizenship by marriage after a period of two years following the marriage. The time required is halved if the couple have minor children. On the other hand, if you reside abroad and wish to apply for Italian citizenship by marriage, you can apply for citizenship three years after the marriage took place. As in the previous case, the time required is halved if the couple have minor children.
Italian Citizenship By Residency
Occasionally, some people may not be eligible for Italian citizenship by descent because their Italian ancestor’s naturalization may have taken place before their child’s birth, which breaks the so called “chain of citizenship”. However, for those who find themselves in these circumstances, Italian citizenship can still be acquired after 3 years of legal residency in Italy.
1948 Cases
Finally, there is also a fourth case whereby Italian citizenship may be acquired through a female ancestor whose child was born before January 1, 1948. In this case, citizenship can be applied for via the court system. On January 1,1948, not only did women gain the right to vote but they also gained the ability to pass citizenship onto their children. Therefore, given that women were treated unfairly prior to 1948, the courts in Italy have decided to allow individuals with a 1948 case to file a lawsuit and apply for Italian citizenship retroactively. Italian Citizenship Assistance also offers help with 1948 cases by appointing a lawyer who can file a lawsuit on the applicant’s behalf without them having to attend any of the hearings in court in Rome.
If you are interested in learning more about the ways through which you can apply for Italian citizenship, check out Italian Citizenship Assistance’s podcast on the top five ways of applying for citizenship on Youtube. To watch the other episodes click here.
If you wish to pursue Italian citizenship, feel free to contact the team of Italian citizenship experts. They will be happy to help you with any queries you may have. You can reach them at ItalianCitizenshipAssistance.com/Contact (info@italiancitizenshipassistance.com – Tel. +1-323-892-0861).