So lets talk about the elephant in the room, the naturalization certificate.

Disclaimer: Warning! This is going to be a long post, so if you want the readers digest version, here are some bullet points:

• Naturalization certificates may be difficult to get from a county court.
• The USCIS Genealogy program does not make certified copies. Don’t bother asking.
• In the event you can’t get a certified copy of a naturalization certificate from the court house where the naturalization happened, you may be able to file a Freedom of Information Act request to get these documents.
• It is unclear if the consulate will even require the naturalization certificates to be certified because it is so difficult to get a non-original. Asking your consulate is a good idea, and I erred on the side of caution by forcing myself to get a copy.

Now, the long version of the story:

My aunt Margie had sent me a photocopy of Sam’s naturalization certificate. I put off asking to borrow it, assuming it would be a simple matter. It was my foolish mistake to assume that she had the original document, but alas, our family record keeping isn’t as cohesive as I wish it were. So it was off to find the naturalization certificate myself. (This citizenship process is often a lonely one)

read more