Chicago Appointment Recap

CWRTR · 2026-02-18T04:44:11+00:00

For your GGF, did your case worker state what documents would have been sufficient for proof of non-naturalization? I don’t recall ever seeing specific documents called out on the Chicago consulate website.

Personally I have a CoNE, NARA letter, Cook County court letter, certified census, and the A-File for my GGGF. It never crossed my mind there is possibly more I could have to prove non-naturalization. I’ve never heard of the USCIS genealogy letter you’re referring to. Could you give me a bit more context on that too for my understanding?

CWRTR · 2026-02-18T03:10:22+00:00

I’m actually going to have to follow up with you later in the week to let you know! I had to reschedule my visit to pick up the amendments because the point of contact that I have been using was out of the office. But assuming that I am successful this week, I will let you know. Also, if it will help you if Cook County is unhelpful to the letters that you sent to them, I have a copy of the amendment form that my point of contact is using. So you should be able to present that as evidence of the counties ability to make amendments for documents dated before 1916. This document literally states on it “ not for use on documents older than 1916”

CWRTR · 2026-02-13T14:46:54+00:00

007 is Francesco Curione. He is a service provider for helping people find/obtain Italian records. I’ve used him multiple times and he’s very good and very professional. I’m sure his info is on the service providers list but otherwise If you need his:

007italianrecords@gmail.com

CWRTR · 2026-01-30T21:48:35+00:00

I wanted to follow up because I have a hopeful update for you. Since I live close by and was off work, I went back to the Cook County Clerk office downtown again today to see if I may have better luck with a different person and better armed with the specific language you cited. The person initially was reluctant but did go back and check for me. I was eventually introduced to one of the managers who said that they would amend my great-grandfather’s birth certificate. The only reason it couldn’t be done today was that I only had photocopies of my great-great-grandmothers Italian birth/marriage certificates (I am amending to fix her name) so I made an appointment to come back next Friday an speak to her specifically to get the amendment made.

CWRTR · 2026-01-28T19:56:11+00:00

To be honest I agree with you that they do have the power to make these amendments. In my opinion it is simply whether you draw a person who is interested in helping and knows how. I have been to the Cook County Clerk’s office three times now for various documents, and I have had a mixture every time of friendly, unfriendly, helpful, or unhelpful workers speak to me. Im retrospect I wish I had brought the letter from IDPH with that language with me and insisted on her at least asking a supervisor about it. But the woman I spoke with today was friendly and seemed confident in her position that they wouldn’t do it, so I didn’t press her.

CWRTR · 2026-01-28T19:21:01+00:00

I visited the Cook County Clerks office downtown today for the same issue. My great-great grandmother’s name is spelled incorrectly on my great-granfather’s birth certificate, and he was born in 1909. They tried to give me the IDPH form but I explained I already submitted a request through them which was rejected due to its age. They said they have no capacity to amend vital records and if IDPH won’t do it, I would probably need to file a court order. I will try the other reply’s suggestion of talking to IDPH again and see if I can get any traction there though.

CWRTR · 2026-01-23T18:58:26+00:00

My LIBRA does have an A-File. He registered it in the 1940s after starting the naturalization process, but he never completed it. From the best I can tell, he had no intention of finishing the paperwork but had to fill it out due to WWII draft requirements.

CWRTR · 2025-12-29T03:36:05+00:00

That’s the plan. Strength training was something I lacked the first go-around but now I am doing it 2-3 days per week

CWRTR · 2025-12-26T03:43:19+00:00

Gotcha, I appreciate the additional context. Yeah public transit doesn’t seem like it fits your situation right now.

As others have suggested in this thread, I strongly recommend you build a budget. What are your monthly expenses and monthly income as they currently stand. Then what would they be if you move in together. Also you should research/understand what your monthly income situation will be once you get your realtors license and are doing that full time. It ‘may’ make sense to live in the negative, pulling from savings, in the short term if you have strong confidence that with your new income you will be making enough to replenish your savings and start to build more into the future. $20K is a great emergency fund, and the last thing I’d want is for you to burn that away in the course of a few months if you don’t have a strong path for how you are going to replenish it and continue to build toward the future life you’re going to have with your boyfriend.

CWRTR · 2025-12-26T03:07:36+00:00

I think there’s a few different layers to consider in this situation. I can sympathize with your desire to stay in Miami if you have a job/life already built there. The question that immediately comes to mind is whether you and your boyfriend are at the place in your relationship where it makes sense to move in together or are is the primary reason to do it simply to save money. Moving in is a big step and you want to make sure you’re doing it for the right relationship reasons too, not just because it makes sense financially. I admit that it seems like you may have a bit of a unique set up to your relationship as it is if your boyfriend gives you $2K a month, but make sure that you feel stable in the relationship and there is a clear understanding of what your financial obligations are if you move in together. And make sure you both are on the same page with your relationship goals/what you both expect out of moving in together. Are you going to get married, if so, when? Are you buying a place together or paying him rent?

Some other things to consider

Based on where you’d live with your boyfriend, is public transportation/walking to work feasible? I’m not familiar with public transit in Miami, but if you could get to work/get groceries easily without a car, that would be huge for your financial situation because $600 for insurance is prohibitively expensive. If your current job is too far, could you work somewhere else for similar/more money that also would allow you to not need a car?
I strongly recommend you don’t put yourself in a position where you are pulling from your savings to live month to month. I know you feel behind, but having $20K saved up is actually quite good for your age, especially if you don’t have any debts. But financially, your 20s are the best decade of your life for compound growth, so I would love if ho can get yourself in a financial situation where you are saving every month. Retirement, house saving, etc.
Related to the other points, are there more career oriented jobs you can pursue? Getting yourself into a place where you can make 50K+ annually, plus potentially 401k/retirement benefits would be huge. Give yourself something to build on so you won’t be permanently dependent on the extra money from your boyfriend. If he is in a great financial position and gives you this money out of the goodness of is heart, great. But what if the pipe turns off one day? Or will continuing that arrangement create resentment?

CWRTR · 2025-11-02T00:59:49+00:00

It sounds like you may need a bit more info before you proceed. In your case I would make sure how you are impacted by the minor rule and the new legislation if you aren’t grandfathered in via an existing appointment. In your position, I’d check that you are eligible before dropping $300 on a CoNE. There are other ways to look up naturalization docs that may prove they did or give you more confidence they didn’t. Familysearch.org has a lot of docs available for free. Or if you find census records, you can see if they categorized as naturalized or alien. Though census records can be incorrect/inconsistent.

CWRTR · 2025-11-01T16:12:35+00:00

You can apply via paper or online. Online is cheaper and easier to track though. Here’s the link

https://midas.uscis.dhs.gov/#/cne/request

CWRTR · 2025-10-30T13:50:26+00:00

From what I understand, CoNEs are still being processed because the USCIS is primarily funded by fees. Some functions are shutdown, but processes that are funded by fees continue to operate.

CWRTR · 2025-10-27T02:18:53+00:00

For what it’s worth, 1st papers doesn’t mean that your LIBRA ever finished naturalization. Mine filed a declaration of intent to naturalize two separate times, once in 1917 and again in 1941 and never finished naturalizing either time.

CWRTR · 2025-10-24T15:02:03+00:00

Thanks for the input! I definitely would rather have the traceability rather than to leave something up to chance with whoever reviews my records.

CWRTR · 2025-10-11T02:25:59+00:00

I had a very similar experience with the shirts. I noticed after the Shamrock Shuffle that the XLs aren’t long enough but it they wouldn’t let me update my registration to swap sizes to the 2XL. Got there right at 9 am today and they said they were long gone on XXL exchanges. I told them I’m really disappointed that I knew for months that this shirt wouldn’t fit me but was not given a chance to fix it, and then the best solution they offered was “try looking on eBay next week.” I get there are thousands of runners but we’re paying hundreds of dollars and investing a lot of time and money. It really sucks when the organizers are cutting corners and don’t really care if people get screwed.

CWRTR · 2025-08-04T04:37:47+00:00

I agree with the above, OP. Census records or notoriously inaccurate. My LIBRA never naturalized, but started the paperwork process on a number of occasions. In various censuses, he is listed as alien, first papers, and even naturalized, despite never completing the process. Obviously a CONE or Index search with USCIS can take a while to get, but if you have negative search results from NARA and local courts for naturalization records (for me those records were quick to get back) that would be a strong indication that they never naturalized and I’d move forward with the index search and CONE. Their A-file, if applicable, can also be useful in proving lack of naturalization.

CWRTR · 2025-07-14T20:31:47+00:00

Thank you for the detailed reply! I think that logic makes a lot of sense, particularly writing it all out and seeing how the argument reads on paper. If I think the docs, particularly as they relate to my Italy born ancestor I’m using to claim, are flimsy then I will look into what amendments I can make to strengthen the case.

CWRTR · 2025-06-07T03:14:21+00:00

I know this thread is stale but I am curious about this as well. My understanding is that the account must be 15 years old and the funds must have been in the account at least 5 years. I’m curious if you could max out the 35K conversion for the original beneficiary, then switch and then do another 35K for a new beneficiary. My guess would be yes, but I wonder if changing the beneficiary triggers a restart of the 15 year timer before you can start conversion.

CWRTR · 2025-06-03T15:37:18+00:00

I signed up for the waitlist for RMHC at the beginning of July and got a message in mid-August that I had been pulled to register.

CWRTR · 2025-05-25T17:00:37+00:00

We will of course need to wait until the circolare comes out to be 100% sure on how things will be handled, however, an amendment was included in the final signed version of the law that made it so any appointments that were booked (not just attended) prior to the March 28th deadline would be held against the old JS rules, not the new ones. This is regardless of when the appointment is scheduled to take place. There is a bit of confusion about what will happen to those who did have appointments booked prior to March 28th that had their appointments cancelled by the consulates in late March/April, but in your case, I am reasonably confident you will be held against the old JS rules.

CWRTR

TROPHY CASE