Error on naturalization records

[sceaminmonkey]

IF anyone else has had a similar experience please post it!

[kontessa]

So I have mentioned it before but want to again . My ggf birthday is off on his nat records .his petition says sept 5th 1887 . His actual record says march 5th 1887. Those are attached. His real bday is sept 5th 1886. Since nat records cant be amended what should I do?

Just to clarify...first, I apologize if I created additional anxiety about the mistakes in your ancestor's record, and by no means did I mean to suggest that it was absolutely necessary to obtain a positivo/negativo statement. It was merely a suggestion of what you COULD do, not what you MUST do. Also want to post a disclaimer that what works for one person at a given time at a particular consulate, may not for another! With that said, people can choose whether or not to obtain additional documentation in anticipation of problems, or they can go to their meeting, and hope that the consular officials are lenient and understanding of mistakes. (Just responding to your final question in the above quote about what you should (could) do before your appointment.)

Opinion : The fact that both dates are contained in the same nat'l record for your ancestor may prove helpful to you, and the statement from your ancestor's comune may not be needed. You'll find out either way at your appointment. Others with mistakes in naturalization records (especially the DOB of the ancestor) may want to obtain this statement, and have it on hand should the consulate take issue.

Personal experience: There were errors for the DOB in my ancestor's naturalization record (day and month wrong). Also, my GF's DOB (next in line) listed in the same record was one year off and he was listed with his Italian first name, not the Americanized one. The consulate in NYC attacked these immediately, suggesting that the nat'l records belonged to another 'John Doe', citing the DOB errors as well as the difference in my GF's names to support their claim.

Months before I presented my application in Italy, I obtained a statement similar to a positivo/negativo from my ancestor's comune, in anticipation of a rejection from NYC. I also had 3 census documents which showed my GF with both his Italian and Americanized first names. (Again, trying to prepare support for my case, should someone take issue with the errors.)

When my comune received the written suggestion or implication from NYC that the naturalization documents did not belong to my ancestor, they used ONLY the census records to support my citizenship claim and felt that the consulate was being ridiculous by suggesting that the entire naturalization record belonged to someone else.

Sorry for the length of the post, but perhaps personal experiences can benefit others, or at least give hope to those agonizing over document errors!