Assembling the U.S. side of your document package is one of the most time-consuming parts of an Italian citizenship by descent application. You need certified vital records (birth, marriage, death, divorce) for every person in your lineage who was born, married, or died in the United States. You also need naturalization records (or proof of non-naturalization) for your Italian-born ancestor. Each of these documents comes from a different source, follows different ordering procedures, and takes a different amount of time. This guide covers where to get everything and how to navigate the process efficiently.
Birth Certificates
You need a certified long-form birth certificate for every U.S.-born person in your lineage, from the first child born in America all the way down to yourself. “Long-form” means the certificate that shows the full details of the birth record, including both parents’ full names, parents’ birthplaces, and other details. Short-form or “wallet-size” certificates are not accepted.
Birth certificates are issued by the vital records office of the state (or in some cases, the city or county) where the birth occurred. Every state has its own vital records agency, and ordering procedures, fees, and processing times vary significantly.
Modern records (roughly 1930s onward): Most states maintain centralized vital records offices that can issue certified copies by mail or online. Processing times range from 1 to 2 weeks (expedited) to 6 to 12 weeks (standard mail) depending on the state. Fees typically range from $10 to $30 per copy. Many states now partner with third-party services like VitalChek for online ordering, which adds a convenience fee but can be faster.
Older records (pre-1930s): For ancestors born in the late 1800s or early 1900s, records may not be held by the state vital records office. Many states did not begin centralized birth registration until the early 1900s (some as late as the 1910s or 1920s). For births before centralized registration, you may need to check county clerk offices, city health departments, or church baptismal records. In some cases, a “delayed birth certificate” was filed years after the actual birth, and these are typically acceptable.
States with known complexities: New York City maintains its own vital records office separate from New York State. Pennsylvania’s older records are split between the state and individual counties. Texas has multiple regional offices. New Jersey restricts access to records older than 80 years (available only through the State Archives). Always check the specific state’s vital records website for current procedures.
For citizenship purposes, always request a certified copy (not an informational copy, which some states distinguish). The certificate must have a raised seal, stamp, or other official certification mark to be eligible for apostille.
Marriage Certificates
You need marriage certificates for every married person in your lineage. These are used to connect generations (showing maiden names and confirming family relationships) and to explain name changes.
Marriage certificates are typically issued by the county clerk’s office in the county where the marriage took place, or by the state vital records office. The same state-by-state variation applies. Some states issue marriage certificates only at the county level, others only at the state level, and some at both. Fees range from $5 to $25, and processing times are generally similar to birth certificates.
If a person in your lineage was married multiple times, you may need certificates for each marriage, along with divorce decrees or death certificates for prior spouses, to create a complete paper trail.
Death Certificates
You need death certificates for every deceased person in your lineage. These are issued by the state vital records office or the local registrar of the jurisdiction where the death occurred.
Death certificates for your Italian-born ancestor are particularly important because they often contain biographical information (birthplace, parents’ names, age at death) that helps confirm identity and connect to Italian records. However, be aware that information on death certificates was provided by an informant (often a family member) and may contain errors in names, dates, or birthplaces.
Naturalization Records
This is often the single most critical document in a citizenship by descent case. You need to establish either that your Italian-born ancestor naturalized as a U.S. citizen (and the exact date they did so) or that they never naturalized at all.
USCIS Genealogy Program
The primary source for naturalization records is the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Genealogy Program. You can request a search of USCIS historical records by submitting a Genealogy Index Search Request (Form G-1041) online. The fee is $65 per search.
USCIS will search their index and report back. If they find a record, you can then order copies of the actual file (naturalization petition, certificate of arrival, etc.) for an additional fee ($65 per file). If they find no record, they issue a “no record” response, which serves as evidence that the ancestor did not naturalize through the federal system.
Processing times: USCIS genealogy requests currently take approximately 3 to 6 months for the initial index search, and additional time if you request file copies. Plan accordingly, as this is often the longest single wait in the entire document-gathering process.
Important limitation: USCIS records cover naturalizations processed through federal courts and immigration authorities. Before 1906, naturalizations could occur in any court of record (state, county, or federal), and these records may not be in the USCIS system. For pre-1906 naturalizations, you may also need to search:
County court records in the county where the ancestor lived. State court records. National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) regional facilities. FamilySearch and Ancestry.com, which have digitized many pre-1906 naturalization records.
What You Need From Naturalization Records
For your citizenship case, the key piece of information is the exact date of naturalization. This date is compared against the birth date of the next person in your line of descent. If the ancestor naturalized after the child was born, the chain of Italian citizenship continues through that child. If they naturalized before, the chain is broken at that point.
If your ancestor never naturalized (many did not, particularly those who arrived in old age, spoke no English, or returned to Italy periodically), the USCIS “no record” letter is your evidence. Some practitioners also recommend searching census records (which asked about naturalization status) and other sources to corroborate non-naturalization.
Other Useful US Records
While not always required for the formal application, several other U.S. record sources can help you build your case and resolve questions about your lineage:
Census records (1900 to 1940): Available free on FamilySearch and by subscription on Ancestry. The 1900, 1910, 1920, 1930, and 1940 censuses asked about birthplace, year of immigration, naturalization status, and (in some years) parents’ birthplaces. These records are invaluable for identifying your Italian ancestor’s town of origin, approximate immigration date, and whether they claimed to have naturalized.
Ship passenger manifests: Available on FamilySearch, Ancestry, and the Statue of Liberty-Ellis Island Foundation website. Manifests record the passenger’s name, age, birthplace (often including the specific town), last residence, and destination. Post-1906 manifests include even more detail.
Social Security applications (SS-5 forms): The original application for a Social Security number often lists the applicant’s birthplace (sometimes including the Italian town), date of birth, and parents’ names. You can request copies from the Social Security Administration for $21 per request for deceased individuals.
Draft registration cards (WWI and WWII): Available on FamilySearch and Ancestry. These cards list name, date of birth, address, birthplace, and physical description. Useful for confirming identity and connecting records.
Timing and Strategy
The biggest mistake people make is ordering documents sequentially, waiting for one before requesting the next. Instead, order everything in parallel. Request all birth, marriage, and death certificates from all relevant states simultaneously. Submit your USCIS genealogy request as early as possible since it has the longest processing time. Begin searching for older records (pre-1906 naturalizations, census, ship manifests) while waiting for vital records.
Build a tracking spreadsheet listing every document you need, the source, date ordered, date received, and apostille status. For a typical 4-generation case, you may be coordinating 15 to 25 individual documents from 5 to 10 different sources across multiple states plus federal agencies.
Working with PortaleItaly
PortaleItaly handles U.S. document procurement as part of our comprehensive citizenship service. We order certified vital records from all relevant states, manage USCIS genealogy searches, research pre-1906 naturalization records through court archives and NARA, coordinate apostilles across multiple jurisdictions, and arrange certified Italian translations. Our experience with state-specific quirks, processing times, and backup record sources means fewer delays and surprises. Contact us to discuss your case.