italian dual citizenship: another trip to the philly consulate...

...and another positive experience. Why the surprise? I have heard SO many nightmare stories about this consulate, yet I've had nothing but positive experiences with the people there. I was there to get 7 more document translations certified and it went very smoothly.

I follow these simple guidelines when visiting the consulate:

• Budget a lot of time. The Philadelphia consulate, in particular, is always packed and you will spend a few hours there even when taking care of a seemingly simple task.
• Be patient. Patience is not one of my virtues, but I know that patience is an absolute necessity when dealing with the overworked folks at the consulate.
• Be sweet as pie. When the woman behind the desk apologized to me today ("Today you were not so  lucky, I'm sorry for the wait"), I said "That's OK, I don't mind waiting. Thank you so much." I got the most gracious smile in return.
• Be prepared. Papers not collated? End of the line. Cash not on hand? End of the line. Missing original copies of things? End of the line. They do not mess around at the Italian consulate. Do yourself a favor and come prepared.
• Know that they aren't doing you any favors. I watched a girl walk into the consulate today, announce that she had decided to study abroad at the last moment and explained that she needed a study visa -- by TOMORROW. That entitled attitude gets you nowhere -- and fast -- with Italians.

Over the course of two visits, I've spent a total of 5 hours at the consulate in Philadelphia. I've overheard conversations about study visas, healthcare, dual citizenship, marriages, and just about every other consulate service possible. What has shocked me the most is just how poorly the consulate workers are treated by the non-Italians that come in for various reasons.

If you somehow swing an appointment for dual citizenship and the person sitting across the table is in a bad mood it's probably for a good reason. Be cordial, kind and understanding to them and I guarantee it will get you further.

Countdown to Italy: 4 Days

italian dual citizenship: how to find a translator

At a certain point in the Italian dual citizenship process you'll want to start thinking about how you will get all of the birth, marriage and death certificates that you've collected and certified translated into Italian. The quality of your translations is exceptionally important, so this is not a step to be overlooked or taken lightly. Whether you are applying at a consulate in the U.S. or in Italy itself, your application can be rejected due to poor translations.

You have the option of translating the records yourself, but if you want to be absolutely sure of quality you can outsource to a professional translator. How do you find a translator?

We've compiled a list of tips to get you started:

1. Call the consulate - Some consulates absolutely require that you use one of their pre-approved translators. If this is the case you will obviously want to use someone on the list! While others don't have this requirement, the suggested list that they provide can be extremely helpful. Call each person and ask for a quote for both individual documents and your entire lot. Also, ask to see samples of their work.
2. Try search engines - You may also want to try using your favorite engine to search the terms "Italian translation" or "Italian translator" followed by your city or state. You may find talented local translators that don't advertise in other places. Once again, ask to see samples or work and get price quotes.
3. Use ELance.com - This site boasts hundreds of qualified translators, including companies and individuals based in Italy. Using this site allows you list a job and ask for bids. It's a great way to let the professionals come to you.

Quality is key, so if your translator provides a finished product that doesn't meet your standards, be sure to let them know so that the work can be redone.

This article was originally written by me for EZineArticles.com. Find it here.

italian dual citizenship: translating your own documents

Once you've established that you qualify for Italian dual citizenship and requested your records, the process of translating records becomes your next step. If you speak and write the Italian language fluently, you can translate your own records. This will save you considerable amounts of money and time.

Whether you translate the records yourself or pay someone else to do it, the quality of your translations is exceptionally important. The consulate at which you apply (or the local Italian province, if you apply in Italy) will need certified translations in order to process your Italian dual citizenship application.

Here are a few quick tips to remember when translating your records: 1. Search the web for record translation templates. Seeing how similar documents have been translated, and particularly the legal words used, will help you immensely when you translate your documents for Italian dual citizenship.

2. Format your translation to match the exact layout of the record. Make use of headlines, subtext and other types of font effects to make clear where important elements of the document appear in translation.

3. If you have a design program available, consider using design element like borders, horizontal lines and other effects that mimic the original document.

4. Translate all seals and certifications. Not all consulates and local Italian provinces require this level of detail, but it's a good way to ensure your translations are accepted when you apply for Italian dual citizenship.

5. Reference message boards for assistance with particular legal jargon that appears confusing.

When in doubt, hire a professional translator to review your documents. Select a translator with experience in legal documents.

This article was originally write for EZinearticles.com and is available here: http://ezinearticles.com/?Italian-Dual-Citizenship---Translating-Documents-Yourself&id=5595599

Italian Dual Citizenship: How to Certify Translations at a Consulate

The process of applying for Italian dual citizenship is a multi-step process. If you are applying for Italian dual citizenship in Italy (and not at your regional consulate), you have the option of certifying your translations before you arrive in the country.

There are many benefits to certifying translations before you arrive in Italy. Chiefly, it will save you multiple trips to local government offices to have them certified, as well as prevent any difficulties associated with language barriers. Certifying translations at a consulate is a particularly attractive option if the consulate is only a short drive or train ride away.

At most consulates you do not need an appointment to have your translations certified, but you should call your consulate to confirm this. Additionally, confirm the days and times of the week that they accept walk-in visitors for these services. There is no need to mention that your translations are for Italian dual citizenship. Certification is just one of the many services offered by consulates.

Prior to arriving at the consulate, however, you should be sure that you have completed the following previous steps:

• Requested and received all records
• Translation of all records
• All state and federal records apostilled

You should present your documents paperclipped with the Italian translation on top, followed by the apostille paperwork and then the actual record. As a side note, most states will staple the apostille paperwork to the record. Do not unstaple these documents.

The worker at the consulate will advise you whether to wait for the certifications or come back later in the day. Certifications cost around $10 per record and most consulates accept only cash, so come prepared to pay in this manner.

As a final note, remember that if you schedule an appointment and apply for Italian dual citizenship at the consulate, it is not necessary to certify your translations ahead of time.

Italian Dual Citizenship: Certifying Translations

After reading a lot of first hand accounts of the translation certification process, I still could not decide whether or not to certify them here (at the Philly consulate) or wait to do it in Italy. But, with only a month left until the move I had to make a decision.

So, last week my dad and I headed down to the consulate to get the stamp of approval on 18 vital record translations and affadavits. Given what I had heard, I assumed some of them would be rejected for various (and ridiculous) reasons.

When we arrived at the consulate it was packed. Most people in the room were students applying for study abroad visas. We were among a small group of folks waiting for other services. We stood in line for a half hour to submit our paperwork and then another 1.5 hours while we waited for the certifications.

My dad and I were literally the last people in the consulate when they closed at 1 p.m. But, low and behold, the woman behind the counter walked out with 18 approved translations. I didn't even mind the $183 certification cost (about $10 per document). It was a huge relief that they were all accepted and I have WordSpark to thank for it. I highly recommend them. Every penny I've paid them for translations has been money very well spent.

For those that are wondering, the other option was to get the translations approved once we were in Italy. It actually sounded like the easier option, but at the end of the day I was really concerned about not being fluent in Italian and trying to explain what I needed. It was the right choice because, despite the wait, the certification process at the Italian Consulate was pretty darn easy!

Lessons Learned

1. Once again, I learned that every person's Italian dual citizenship experience is different. Some folks have had really bad experiences with the Philly Consulate. I, however, did not.
2. You get what you pay for. WorkSpark was a mid-range translation service and I'm happy I decided not to go with the cheapest option. Their work is dynamite.