We Moved Our Family from the US to Italy for Citizenship — Then Italy Changed the Rules

A Dream Move to Italy That Hit an Unexpected Legal Wall

For many Americans, the idea of securing European citizenship feels like the ultimate life upgrade — lower healthcare costs, access to the EU, a slower pace of life, and an escape from the financial pressures that have made cities like New York nearly unlivable for young families. For Jacqueline Matwick, 38, that dream felt within reach. She and her husband uprooted their lives in Arizona and relocated to Turin, Italy in 2024, fully expecting to secure Italian citizenship through a process known as citizenship by descent — only for Italy to change its eligibility rules after they had already made the move.

Their story is a cautionary tale that thousands of Americans pursuing Italian ancestry-based citizenship are now paying close attention to. It raises important questions about legal preparation, timing, and the real risks of making a major international move before securing citizenship status.

Why So Many Americans Are Pursuing Italian Citizenship by Descent

Italy's citizenship by descent program — legally known as jure sanguinis, meaning "by right of blood" — has long been one of the most accessible pathways for Americans with Italian ancestry to obtain EU citizenship. Unlike naturalization, which typically requires years of legal residency and language proficiency, citizenship by descent allows descendants of Italian-born ancestors to claim citizenship based solely on lineage, provided certain conditions are met.

The appeal is massive. Italian (and by extension, EU) citizenship opens doors to the right to live and work anywhere in the European Union, access to public healthcare, lower university tuition, and a passport widely recognized as one of the most powerful in the world. For families feeling priced out of American cities — particularly places like New York, where childcare alone can cost as much as a second rent payment — the financial case for a transatlantic move has never felt more compelling.

Matwick's family understood this calculus well. As new parents in New York City, they were confronting the reality that housing and childcare costs were consuming an overwhelming portion of their income. Italy, by contrast, offered a dramatically lower cost of living, a family-friendly culture, and — crucially — what appeared to be a clear legal pathway to permanent residency and citizenship.

What Changed in Italy's Citizenship Laws

The Italian government has periodically updated its jure sanguinis rules over the years, but a significant shift occurred that directly impacted families like the Matwicks. Historically, citizenship claims could be traced back through multiple generations without strict limits, allowing descendants of Italian emigrants who left as far back as the 19th century to successfully claim citizenship. However, Italian authorities began tightening eligibility criteria, introducing stricter generational limits and new documentation requirements that effectively disqualified many applicants who had previously believed they qualified.

For the Matwicks, who had already committed to the move — enrolling children in school, securing housing in Turin, and beginning to build a life in Italy — the news was devastating. They had based an enormous life decision on a legal status that evaporated beneath them after they arrived.

The Legal Limbo Facing Expat Families

Being caught in immigration legal limbo in a foreign country is not a rare problem, but it is an acutely stressful one — particularly for families with children who have already begun putting down roots. Without citizenship or a clear path toward it, long-term residency becomes more complicated. Visa categories for non-EU citizens living in Italy have their own requirements, costs, and limitations, and navigating them without the safety net of citizenship-in-progress adds significant uncertainty to daily life.

Matwick has spoken openly about now weighing her options, which may include pursuing alternative visa routes within Italy, exploring citizenship pathways through other EU countries, or potentially relocating again to a country with a clearer path to legal permanent status. None of these options are simple, and all of them come with financial and emotional costs that the family did not anticipate when they first decided to leave the United States.

Key Lessons for Americans Considering a Move Abroad for Citizenship

The Matwick family's experience offers critical lessons for anyone considering a similar move. Experts who advise on international relocation and citizenship consistently emphasize the same core principles:

• Never relocate before confirming eligibility. Citizenship applications should ideally be initiated — and ideally approved — before making a permanent move abroad. Rules can and do change, and being on foreign soil without secure status creates enormous vulnerability.
• Work with a specialized immigration attorney. Italian citizenship by descent cases in particular require deep expertise in both Italian and American legal frameworks. A generalist attorney is rarely sufficient for these complex, multi-generational claims.
• Understand that laws are not static. Governments regularly update citizenship rules in response to the volume of applications, political changes, or administrative pressures. What is true today may not be true in 12 months.
• Have a backup plan. Families should research alternative visa options — such as Italy's Elective Residency Visa or the Digital Nomad Visa — before committing to a move, so they have a legal fallback if their citizenship pathway is blocked.
• Research other EU citizenship options. Countries including Portugal, Ireland, and Germany also offer ancestry-based citizenship routes, and some applicants may find they qualify through multiple national lineages.

Where the Matwicks Go From Here

As of 2025, the Matwicks remain in Turin and are actively exploring their legal options. Italy, despite the legal uncertainty, has become home in many meaningful ways — their children are in school, they have built friendships, and they have grown genuinely attached to the city and its culture. Uprooting again would come at a significant cost, not only financially but emotionally.

Their situation is a reminder that expatriate life, however romanticized in social media feeds and relocation blogs, involves real legal complexity that demands careful preparation. Chasing European citizenship is a legitimate and often life-changing pursuit — but doing so without fully understanding the legal landscape, and without contingency plans firmly in place, can leave even the most motivated families stranded between countries, cultures, and legal systems.

The Bigger Picture for American Expats

The Matwicks are far from alone. Tens of thousands of Americans have pursued Italian citizenship by descent in recent years, drawn by a combination of ancestral pride, financial pragmatism, and a growing disillusionment with the cost and quality of life in major American cities. The surge in applications has itself contributed to Italy's decision to review and tighten eligibility, creating a feedback loop in which widespread interest directly leads to the policy restrictions that undercut those same applicants.

For anyone currently at an early stage of planning a similar move, the Matwick story is not a reason to abandon the dream — it is a reason to pursue it more carefully, more thoroughly, and with eyes fully open to the risks involved.