What clients ask

Jure sanguinis is Latin for “by right of blood”: Italian citizenship passed down through your bloodline rather than earned through residency. If your Italian-born ancestor was still an Italian citizen when their child was born, that citizenship can carry forward through the generations. Whether it reaches you is a legal determination your immigration attorney makes, and recent Italian law has tightened how far the line can extend. My role is narrower and purely factual: I establish, with certified records, whether and when your ancestor naturalized as a US citizen. That US-side fact is what those determinations rest on.

Primarily two kinds. First, naturalization records: the petition, certificate, or court order showing your ancestor became a US citizen, with a certified copy from the court or archive that holds it. Second, when no naturalization exists, proof of that absence: USCIS no-record results, NARA and county no-record letters, and certified census extracts showing your ancestor listed as an alien. Along the way I also draw on census records, draft-registration cards, and ship manifests as supporting evidence.

Desk research (the searching) usually takes one to four weeks. Procurement is the long pole: a certified copy from NARA can take several weeks to a few months, and a USCIS genealogy request currently runs 12–13 months or more because of their backlog. Those government timelines are outside my control, so I set expectations early and keep you posted through the wait.

An organized document packet with a cover memo. The memo lays out, in plain English, what was searched, what was found, where each record came from, and any gaps or requests still in progress, all assembled so you can hand it directly to your Italian immigration attorney.

Often, that’s exactly what a jure sanguinis case needs: an unbroken line of Italian citizenship. But “never naturalized” has to be proven, not assumed. I document the absence rigorously: a USCIS index search (Form G-1041), no-record letters from the relevant courts and archives, and certified census records showing your ancestor listed as an alien. A well-documented non-naturalization is a deliverable in its own right.

No, and that distinction matters. I’m a genealogical researcher. I locate and procure historical records; I don’t give legal advice or decide whether you qualify for citizenship. Those determinations belong to your Italian immigration attorney. Keeping research and law in separate, qualified hands is what makes the packet I deliver trustworthy.

No. I handle US records only. The Italian filing, the consulate or court process, and the legal strategy are all your attorney’s domain. I make sure the American documents they need are in hand, certified, and clearly sourced.

A standard single-ancestor case is a flat $500. Research beyond standard scope is $90/hr, always agreed in advance, and government fees are billed at cost with receipts. Full detail, including how two-client cases are handled, is on the Services page.