Discovering Your Italian Roots – How Relevant is Your Ancestor’s Gender?

Italian citizenship is amongst the most popular options for Americans with immigration dreams. The country is a great place to live in, with its incredible weather, easy lifestyle, business and career opportunities, and excellent healthcare and education systems. Even better, it offers myriad citizenship options, including Jure Sanguinis. For more information on this route, here is a detailed guide by Bersani Law Firm that covers Italian citizenship by descent. The route lets you claim your rights through your ancestral roots, but your ancestor’s gender can make a difference. Let us explain how.

Applying with male lineage

Eligibility for Italian citizenship by descent depends on being born to a parent of Italian descent or a person eligible for citizenship themselves. You may also qualify if adopted as a minor by an Italian parent. The Italian-born ancestor should be a citizen of the country after its formation and unification in 1861. They must have not given up citizenship by naturalization in another country. If you qualify through this route, you have to gather your documents to validate the eligibility criteria. The process requires you to submit translated and legalized documents to your local Consulate to take the process ahead. The process can take time, depending on the number of pending applications in line. If the documents are valid, you can expect to get citizenship eventually.  

Applying with female lineage

Everything about Italian citizenship by descent is not as simple as it sounds because things differ if you want to claim through female lineage. A person whose bloodline goes through a female ascendant who gave birth before 1948 does not qualify through the Jure Sanguinis route. It means you cannot apply through the administrative process, but you can still claim your right. The Italian government has come up with an alternative to do away with the discriminatory stance of the law. You can apply through the courts of Rome under the 1948 Rule if you fall in this category. The process requires you to assess your eligibility, gather valid documents, and file your application with the court. The judiciary examines your documents and gives you a hearing date for the decision. 

How can a citizenship expert help?

The gender of your ancestor in Italy matters when it comes to deciding your eligibility via the administrative route or the 1948 Rule. Everything boils down to the dates of birth of your ancestors. You are eligible for the administrative process if your female ancestor had her child after 1948. Conversely, you will have to apply through the court if she gave birth after 1948. It can get confusing to decide the ideal way to go, and an Italian citizenship expert can guide you. Apart from understanding your eligibility, they can also assist you with the process itself.

Discovering your Italian roots requires you to give attention to your ancestor’s gender. It will enable you to decide which direction to take for your citizenship journey. Moving the right way gives you the best chances of approval without delays and complications.