I have some questions about getting proper documentation for my citizenship application.
How do I know if I have the long form or vault copy of a NY state birth, death or marriage cert? My guess is that the birth cert is the long one since I’ve seen another version of it that was typed instead of handwritten and was less thorough although more up to date, example there is no first name on my handwritten copy. The death cert is also handwritten, does that mean anything? And the Marriage license is several pages long and handwritten.
How do I get an acceptable copy of my relative’s 1945 naturalization certificate? He was naturalized after his children were born so all of us should be eligible for citizenship. I have a photocopy of the certificate issued by the Supreme Court of Hudson Falls, NY. I tried requesting it from NARA but a required field asked for the city of issue and didn’t offer Hudson Falls as an option. I have emailed them about this but no response yet. Is the NARA even the best source? It is frustrating to have copies of the declaration of intent, the petition and the certificate in front of me yet I can’t find the document online or even where it is filed to request it from.
Thanks so much in advance for tips, advise and clarification. I’ve learned so much here already.
Citizenship application documents, esp Naturalization
Re: Citizenship application documents, esp Naturalization
One approach to obtaining a naturalization record is to go through the USCIS Genealogy Program:
http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis/ ... 18190aRCRD
Elsewhere in the archives of this forum you'll see many discussions of the many variations of obtaining the records. They might be available from the court itself or from NARA. If not there, USCIS has a copy of the originals.
Good luck,
Jerry
http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis/ ... 18190aRCRD
Elsewhere in the archives of this forum you'll see many discussions of the many variations of obtaining the records. They might be available from the court itself or from NARA. If not there, USCIS has a copy of the originals.
Good luck,
Jerry
Re: Citizenship application documents, esp Naturalization
Jerry,
Is that version through the Genealogy Program acceptable for dual citizenship application?
Thanks,
Jim
Is that version through the Genealogy Program acceptable for dual citizenship application?
Thanks,
Jim
Re: Citizenship application documents, esp Naturalization
Jim,
There's no sure answer to your question. It seems to depend on which consulate you're dealing with. According to the USCIS, the Italian Embassy has instructed them that certified copies of the naturalization documents are no longer required; the USCIS letter and documents, along with the envelope they came in, are said to satisfy the requirements for recognition of citizenship. Apparently, some consulates are following this decision of the Embassy while others are said to not. I've also seen that some people have been able to get the documents certified after the fact by sending them to another branch of the USCIS.
If the naturalization records are available either at the county court or at NARA, I would get them there, since those can be certified. That wasn't an option for me, so I submitted the USCIS version. The Vancouver Consulate accepted them but had to send them down to San Francisco for verification. I'm still waiting to hear what SF says about them.
Good luck with yours,
Jerry
There's no sure answer to your question. It seems to depend on which consulate you're dealing with. According to the USCIS, the Italian Embassy has instructed them that certified copies of the naturalization documents are no longer required; the USCIS letter and documents, along with the envelope they came in, are said to satisfy the requirements for recognition of citizenship. Apparently, some consulates are following this decision of the Embassy while others are said to not. I've also seen that some people have been able to get the documents certified after the fact by sending them to another branch of the USCIS.
If the naturalization records are available either at the county court or at NARA, I would get them there, since those can be certified. That wasn't an option for me, so I submitted the USCIS version. The Vancouver Consulate accepted them but had to send them down to San Francisco for verification. I'm still waiting to hear what SF says about them.
Good luck with yours,
Jerry
Re: Citizenship application documents, esp Naturalization
Thanks, Jerry. Appreciate the input!
Re: Citizenship application documents, esp Naturalization
I am also trying to put together my application, and just in case you haven't called or contacted your consulate, the process is a bit tedious.
I am applying through the consulate in NJ, and they have over a year-long waiting list just to make an appointment at the consulate to present your papers and application for citizenship. Therefore, call IMMEDIATELY to make an appointment, or you could wait over a year once you have everything ready just to apply. Then, once the consulate has approved your documents, they might need to contact another consulate if you do not reside where your family originally emigrated. I.e., if your family originally lived in NY, then emigrated to CO, and you now live in MN, the consulate in MN will have to contact both the CO and NY consulates (generally) before your application can be finalized and your citizenship documents sent to Rome to be recorded. This means there is a HUGE delay in the process based on moving.
The NJ Consulate said that one way to expedite this is to have a parent or sibling still residing in the original state of immigration to apply first and have their citizenship recognized. Then, when you apply in MN, especially once your parent's citizenship has been recognized, all you need is that official document and you can register at your consulate. They will only need your birth certificate (and marriage cert if you have one), and voila, you're done! They will also not need to bother verifying everything with the other consulate!
This is just the advice I received from the Newark Consulate.
I am applying through the consulate in NJ, and they have over a year-long waiting list just to make an appointment at the consulate to present your papers and application for citizenship. Therefore, call IMMEDIATELY to make an appointment, or you could wait over a year once you have everything ready just to apply. Then, once the consulate has approved your documents, they might need to contact another consulate if you do not reside where your family originally emigrated. I.e., if your family originally lived in NY, then emigrated to CO, and you now live in MN, the consulate in MN will have to contact both the CO and NY consulates (generally) before your application can be finalized and your citizenship documents sent to Rome to be recorded. This means there is a HUGE delay in the process based on moving.
The NJ Consulate said that one way to expedite this is to have a parent or sibling still residing in the original state of immigration to apply first and have their citizenship recognized. Then, when you apply in MN, especially once your parent's citizenship has been recognized, all you need is that official document and you can register at your consulate. They will only need your birth certificate (and marriage cert if you have one), and voila, you're done! They will also not need to bother verifying everything with the other consulate!
This is just the advice I received from the Newark Consulate.
Re: Citizenship application documents, esp Naturalization
Thanks for both of your posts. I was able to collect the information on my grandfather's birth, a certificate, from Trenta. They scolded me a bit for my lame Italian, but that gave me just about everything. I kind of lost momentum then. It all adds up with cost too. Any tips for promoting it on the home front, or is that not an issue for you?
Jim
Jim