Matwick Family Challenges Italy Citizenship Rejection, With Court Hearing Set for January 2027
Updated
Updated · Business Insider · Jun 7
Matwick Family Challenges Italy Citizenship Rejection, With Court Hearing Set for January 2027
2 articles · Updated · Business Insider · Jun 7
Summary
A January 2025 rejection letter ended the Matwick family's bid for Italian citizenship after they had moved to Turin in August 2024 expecting approval within six to eight months.
An October 2024 change in Italy's interpretation of naturalization rules made the family ineligible mid-process by letting an ancestor's later naturalization affect descendants who were minors.
The family says it spent about 18 months assembling documents from 2022 to February 2024 and moved from Arizona to Italy to finish the process locally rather than wait years in the US.
A court case filed after the rejection is scheduled for January 2027, allowing the family to remain in Italy on a permit while the still-contested citizenship issue is litigated.
The dispute has left the family weighing whether to stay in Italy, return to the US, or move to Spain as they reassess where they can afford to raise their children.