Preparing for Milano

The citizenship process is just slow right now. All documents have been submitted and sent to Italy. We were hoping things would go without a hitch, but… at this point, it doesn’t look like that’s going to be the case. The application was sent back in April 2010, but is pending in Rome right now. The consulate believes Rome will want more info, so a lawyer has been sent to see if he can expedite the case. Hopefully things can still be resolved with a few more documents, but I may still need to go through a legal process in Italy to have the citizenship recognized.

Finally ran out of the money from the original retainer, so had to send another 2500. Thankfully the Lord provided that sometime back and we’ve just had it sitting in savings. Also got all the paperwork submitted again for sending to Italy. Hopefully it’s all on track again.

well, had to laugh a little at the situation… I handed the documents to the lawyer and he sent them in on Dec. 8th. When my mom when through this process, it took 3 months to the day to get word back from Italy that she had been confirmed. So I was expecting something around mid march, more or less, giving some time added for Christmas break. When I didn’t hear anything through march or the first week of April, I decided to email the lawyer and find out how things were going. Turns out he had just gone to the Consulate and asked about the status, only to find out that they had been missing some piece of paperwork and never sent the docs to Italy. So all this time I’ve been waiting, and by now starting to think maybe I had been rejected, turns out to be nothing. I’ll let this be a lesson on how things work.

well, I talked to the lady in probate yesterday and they still had not received any word. I asked about my adoptive father being able to get the docs and she said he would. So Shelly took the day off of work, we went and picked up my dad and hauled him down to probate court this morning. They gave him the documents with no hassles whatsoever. So I dropped Dad back off and then drove to the State Department building in downtown LA to get apostilles on 16 documents. 2 hours and $400 dollars later, everything was in hand. So I attached the translations to the docs while shelly drove and we made our way over to the westside: Wilshire just west of the 405 and submitted the docs to the lawyer. He meets with the Consulate on Friday and we hope all goes well. As of now though, my part is done. If all goes well, hopefully I will be an Italian citizen within a few months.

I spoke with the lady at probate who over two weeks ago told me that she was behind, but would have them out in two weeks…… she still hasn’t gotten anything back from the judge, so it’s really running late right now. keep praying. Since I don’t imagine these will come until next week, it’s unlikely I can get apostilles, get them to the lawyers, and then to the consulate before december. but it’s all in the Lord’s hands.

Funny how I was praying for these to come a lot quicker than they usually would, and instead they are coming a lot slower than they usually would. not sure if that is due to the Lord’s timing, spiritual warfare or what. but ultimately, there is nothing to do except pray and trust God.

Still waiting for the certified adoption docs to come. I spoke with the lady in charge of it at the OC probate court and was told they are backlogged right now and it would take an extra few weeks. But she said they would be out within two weeks… so hopefully mid next week they arrive. Then I will need apostilles and then…. everything delivered for approval.

Well, the hard copies of the translations seem to have gotten hung up, or worse- lost, in the mail. But I was able to get digital copies and print them out. I think it should be OK with the digital prints but if needed I can always drive down to Capistrano and get them from the translator… that is if they don’t show up in the next few days.

Now just praying for the certified docs to come in early. I was praying for them this week, but nothing yet…

dave

I needed to get all the adoption docs certified and an apostille on each one and then get them translated and sent back to the lawyer. Since I had to petition an Orange County Superior court judge to have access to the adoption docs a few years ago, but didn’t get all the docs certified, I was hoping to have the remaining docs certified over the counter by simply bringing them back in.

Doesn’t work that way apparently, so I will need to again request access to the folder and have them certified and then sent to the house. I’m asking for EVERYthing in the folder to be certified this time…. at least it doesn’t cost anything…. so that whatever they might need in relation to that folder will covered.

I sent them in 2009 Oct 08, and will be expecting them back somewhere around the end of this month or the first week of November.

In the meantime, I’ll have to get the copies I have right now translated into Italian, and THEN haul them all to the State Dept and have them apostilled for 26 USD per doc. Just waiting on the lawyer for confirmation of which docs he will need because I’d rather not pay the translation and apostille fees for the docs he doesn’t. That could run the cost up pretty high.

Thanks for any of you that were praying. I can’t divulge anything at all right now, but it’s starting to look like we may have an opening and things will work out.