Glossary
Key terms you will encounter during your citizenship by descent application.
1
- 1948 CaseItalylegal
- A judicial pathway for Italian citizenship recognition when the line passes through a woman who had a child before January 1, 1948. Requires filing a court case in Rome because Italian law did not recognize maternal citizenship transmission before that date.
A
- AIREItalyprocess
- Anagrafe degli Italiani Residenti all'Estero — the registry of Italian citizens living abroad. Once recognized, you register with AIRE through your local consulate.
- Apostilledocument
- A certificate that authenticates a document for international use under the Hague Convention. In the US, you get it from the Secretary of State of the issuing state.
C
- C-Filedocument
- The complete naturalization case file held by USCIS. Contains the Certificate of Arrival, Petition for Naturalization, Oath of Allegiance, and Certificate of Naturalization.
- Certificate of Arrivaldocument
- A document verifying an immigrant's arrival in the United States. Issued as part of the naturalization process and found in the C-File.
- Certificate of Naturalizationdocument
- The official document issued to a person who has become a U.S. citizen through naturalization. Lists the date citizenship was granted, which is key to Italian jure sanguinis eligibility.
- ComuneItalygovernment
- The Italian municipality (town hall). You request Italian vital records directly from the Ufficio di Stato Civile of the relevant comune.
- CONEdocument
- Certificate of Non-Existence of Naturalization — a letter from USCIS confirming that no naturalization record exists for a person. Required when your Italian ancestor never naturalized.
- Consulategovernment
- A diplomatic office that handles citizenship services for its nationals abroad. For Italian citizenship, you submit your application to the Italian consulate that has jurisdiction over your U.S. state of residence.
E
- EstrattoItalydocument
- An extract (certified copy) of a vital record from an Italian comune. An estratto di nascita is a birth certificate extract; estratto di matrimonio is a marriage certificate extract.
F
- Full AdoptionItalylegal
- Adoption (adozione legittimante) that severs all legal ties to the biological family. The adopted child becomes the legal child of the adoptive parents. For Italian citizenship, full adoptions after 1967 (Italy) or 1983 (abroad) transmit citizenship like biological parentage.
J
- Jure SanguinisItalylegal
- Latin for "by right of blood" — the legal principle that Italian citizenship passes through bloodline, regardless of where descendants were born.
N
- NARAgovernment
- National Archives and Records Administration. Holds historical immigration and passenger arrival records. Request records using Form NATF 81.
- Naturalizationlegal
- The legal process by which an immigrant becomes a citizen of their adopted country. For Italian citizenship by descent, whether your ancestor naturalized (and when) is critical to eligibility.
P
- Petition for Naturalizationdocument
- A formal application filed by an immigrant to become a U.S. citizen. Found in the C-File or at NARA. Lists personal details, arrival information, and the date citizenship was granted.
S
- Simple AdoptionItalylegal
- Adoption (adozione semplice) that retains the child's legal ties to their biological family while adding a new relationship with the adoptive parents. These cases are legally complex for citizenship purposes — consult an attorney.
U
- Ufficio di Stato CivileItalygovernment
- The civil registry office within an Italian comune. Responsible for recording births, marriages, deaths, and citizenship status. This is where you request Italian vital records.
- USCISgovernment
- U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Runs the Genealogy Program where you submit Form G-1041 ($65) to search naturalization records.
V
- Vital Recorddocument
- An official government record of a life event — birth, marriage, death, or divorce. You will need certified copies (not photocopies) from the issuing jurisdiction.