In article <1148263405.448781.103530@u72g2000cwu.googlegroups.com>,
"Tuscana" writes:
> Robert, I sorry but I must respectfully disagree with you relative to
> our forfeiting our American citizen when we "obtain" our Italian
> papers. ("...actively seeking and accepting citizenship in a foreign
> country was one of the sure-fire ways to lose your American
> citizenship." )
>
> This is not correct relative to Italian citizenship by "blood" (as it
> is called in Italy.) This is only correct relalitive to a party
> actively seeking and obtaining foreign citizenship. The issue with your
> statement is; we are not seeking the citizenship. We are already
> citizens of Italy. Our "by blood" citizenship exists in Italy, thanks
> to our parents.
>
Yes, I quite understood that aspect - the OP's wife derived Italian citizenship
through her parents and had to do nothing other than just "be". Such a
situation is not at all unusual. What concerned me was the husband's desire to
obtain Italian citizenship and the possiblity he might be jeopardizing his own
US citizenship. I recognize that US citizenship law might have changed since I
last wore my consular hat, so my concern was more cautionary (you might want to
check ...) than otherwise. As it happens, the citizenship laws I administered
as a consular officer HAVE changed and it appears that obtaining citizenship in
another country is no longer considered an expatriating act. My advice, never-
theless, is that the OP should check on the possible pitfalls of seeking and
obtaining Italian (or any other) citizenship when he has no "blood right" to it.You might consider that to be a "belt and suspenders (braces)" attitude, but it
is far better to appear naive than to wake up one morning and find yourself
denied entry and sent back to your place of origin.
Respetti,
Bob Melson
--
Robert G. Melson | Rio Grande MicroSolutions | El Paso, Texas
-----
Under democracy one party always devotes its chief energies to trying to prove
that the other party is unfit to rule---and both commonly succeed, and are
right." ---H. L. Mencken |