As a first-generation American and the child of Sicilian immigrants, I began to explore jure sanguinis back in 2016. Back then, I called to make an appointment with the Italian consulate in New York City and was given an appointment date in December of 2018—two years later!
While I waited, I procured all necessary documentation for myself and my young daughter, to help make things go more smoothly. Come December 2018, the appointment went without a hitch and I was told on the spot that I qualified. The woman I met with told me to “give it a year”.
It took much more than a year and it was further complicated by the pandemic of 2020. In between, I had another child. So I sent more documentation to the consulate pertaining to my second daughter, who was added to the application. Finally, in April of 2022, I received an email that my two daughters and I were officially recognized as Italian citizens. We eventually got our Italian passports in August of 2022.
In my case, I was in no particular rush and I am very patient. However, this may not work for some. There are alternatives which may be a good fit for some people who do not want to wait long or are having difficulty getting an appointments with the consulates in the United States. I have colleagues in Italy who assist with denial of justice petitions for those who want to legally and rightfully circumvent the waits at the consulates in the US.
I am one of the few attorneys in New York City who is a dual Italian citizen and specializes in this exciting practice area.
LoBrutto Law, P.C. 