As far as I'm aware, doing it through the consulate you will not find out the case worker's name (though I'm sure you could request it). In any...

Just as a comparison, it took 2 months to get mine via the consulate in Tel Aviv. I was told 2-3 months.

The Act of 1951 generally says that anyone who accepted citizenship of a country other than Poland before the date of its ratification, you...

That's interesting. I am not familiar with that agreement, and I don't believe it's been cited on this forum. I would strongly recommend using a...

A preface for going forward should be that you're actually able to be confirmed as a Polish citizen. It says you live in Kazakhstan and are...

I originally was dealing with the consulate in Washington DC. I'm now dealing with the one in Tel Aviv. I am pretty sure that I could do both at...

Hi everyone, been a long time. I'm going ahead now and finally transcribing my birth certificate. Does anyone know if you can apply for the...

I should be sending out all of my final paperwork on Monday. This should be the rest before I receive Confirmation...!

I don't know the answer to your question, however, to maybe save you some time, the process for Belgian citizenship goes as follows: 5 years...

Very interesting, siuniab! Sounds like great news! It turns out my family is from 30 miles south of where your mother is from, in a town...

Re: Polish Citizenship Lawyers in Poland I can personally say that Piotr Staczek wanted to charge me $600 or so for him to tell me if I was...

Excellent points. I'll keep everyone updated.

That's the letter I got, exactly. They asked me to fax or mail (the actual woman handling my case) a letter to them requesting additional...

When my case was submitted directly in Warsaw, I was told a decision would be made in 6 to 8 weeks. That's a lot shorter than the 2 years quoted...

No, I'm talking about a $34/each page consular stamp. And, yes, they still require apostilles on all US documents, so if you don't have one, I...

This may sound bad, but does anyone know if "grease payments" are legal/culturally accepted in Poland? I know in general in E. Europe it's a...

I'm glad to see this thread still so active after all this time and now curiousgeorge is a mod! :) Sorry I've been gone so long - very busy....

Well, if they accept this, then that will pretty much open up citizenship to a lot more people, because the pre-'51 acquisition of foreign...

That seems like a huge thing that we haven't even touched on, except for DMOesq's post that I didn't ever see until now. Has anyone actually...

I agree. As we've implied before, the people that decide our cases are not able to interpret the law, they can only enforce it. If an article...

Are you asking or telling us?

Exactly. My certified documents are in Poland. My to-be certified translation are at the consulate.

That was my line of thinking. Anyway, they're certifying the translation, not the document.

Well, I sent them up 2 weeks ago. I sent photocopies because all of my originals are in Poland, and it would take another 1 to 2 months to get...

Yes, I do, but last time I asked my cousin didn't want to do it, because it's close, but it's a day-trip. Consulate is only open working days and...

Well, call ahead, or have your father, and ask what he need to bring in to get a new passport. Explain that he left when he was young. You'll...

Michael, I edited my last post. Reread it, it's totally different now. And no, Poland will not accept an AUS document as factual. They'll...

I believe, the best thing to do is bring your dad to the consulate and have him order a new passport. While you're there, have him register your...

Have any of you had translations certified at the consulate via mail? I was curious as to the actual time frame to getting them back. I was told...

I think he meant non-resident Polish citizens :)

Based on history in regards to other country's nationality law changes, I would say that the chances of the law changing in the future to be more...

700 seems like a big number, but, after curious's nice breakdown, it's actually quite reasonable. Also, but putting it off now, you are...

Interesting...well, I'll see if my next try work. I can do the translations but mail, but not the passport. Let you all know in a about a month...

Curious, when did you do your application? Was it pre- or post-EU? I think they may have become a little more strict since the entered the EU.

The Wojewoda requested some translations I have been stamped/certified at the consulate. I had a public notary do them. :) Can a POLISH notary...

If the husband never gains US citizenship, then there shouldn't be a major issue in the first place. To directly answer your question, though,...

It's very creative, but I think there's some solid logic in that. I know for sure that in today's world, this would work because we know of these...

I have a question of my own: I have another family member's Polish passport. It's weird because under nationality it is crossed out. A...

The hardest part is going to be find out how you can prove he didn't become a permanent resident, and furthermore, what does the Polish government...

Normally I wouldn't bother mentioning this, but I decided it may be of some help to someone in the future. I just called as they told me to...

Incurve, it sounds like you may have some valid points an attorney could make work for you. The key date, however is 1951. They can't have...

That's correct, but I believe the issue most had is that only a Polish female in their ancestry had (verifiable) Polish citizenship, and had...

My personal feeling is that yes, per the law this is technically the case where all people living in what became Poland are eligible and their...

So, in plain English, I guess he's saying no, they weren't citizens because they left the area that would become Poland with no intent of...

Duane recently said that he used Mr. Stączek, so maybe he can shed some light on the costs associated with using Mr. Stączek's services....

I don't know of the exceptions. An attorney I spoke with said that there were some, but I didn't further inquire because it didn't apply to me....

Polskiarg has done a great job explaining it. Incurve, odds are definitely against you in multiple ways. That said, it's possible for mother...

Based on your info, your family may be polish ethnically but not polish in terms of legality. By this I mean that since your family emigrated in...

Here's my official interpretation: 1. If you apply directly, you have priority, but they don't care about you. 2. If you apply via the...

As far as Mr Stączek's fee, I couldn't fiund the email, but I believe he quoted me around $300 or $400 to check for eligibility, versus Charsky...

There is no chance of you having legitimate religious wedding, as the previous poster said. The only wedding that would be really accepted would...

Hello all... Just to update you all and warn others in the future about direct-applying. I believe a nearly identicaly situation to...

Ya, the change was only recent. Not sure how it could even be confused. My only guess is that it was some type of British slight at Poles moving...

Admin: Why is this thread still in "Immigration to UK" section rather than a more appropriate section? Maybe I missed something, but could this...

As long as you know what events happened where (i.e. marriage in Michigan, birth in CA), it shouldn't be too hard. Even in the, in my opinion,...

I saw it a while back (forgot about it). It's a work in progress I guess, because when I was there about 3 or 4 months ago it only written in...

Re: Citizenship questiosn for pre-1918 ancestors Well, TECHNICALLY, it seems that in many cases, children under a certain age (I'm not sure it...

Re: Citizenship questiosn for pre-1918 ancestors If an attorney will tell you for free, I would say that there's little to lose. But, in my...

Yep, couldn't agree more. That's why I specifically recommended Charsky because I know he has experience with this issue. But, like you said,...

How is noticifcation sent if one applies via the Citizenship Confirmation Office in Warsaw? Directly the the foreign address supplied, or to the...

He said they were naturalized in Israel in the mid-50's, so that's well past the '51 mark. Seems solid with the exception no definitive proof of...

Can someone please list the telephone number (full) for the Wojewoda Mazowiecki? And maybe any experiences calling?

I did note the "Esq" part of your name! All I know about Charsky is that he's good, but very busy. Ever since Poland became an EU member, with...

Please keep in mind I am not a professional, but I did stay at a holiday inn last night. Just kidding, but I am, as are most of us, speaking to...

My apologies, I mixed up two different things - the 1958 to 1984 provision and a new thing where the Polish President on a trip to Israel for it's...

My application didn't ask that; in fact it barely asked any questions of me. My address, where I lived in Poland, and a few other very generic...

It might be enough, only one way to find out - send it in.. Anyone else ever send in a confirmation of citizenship without passport, and just...

You're grandfather was born in Poland before Poland was a country, or at least the modern Republic of Poland (1918 I believe?). Your mother,...

I'm not at that stage yet so I don't know, but if you have the question, chances are someone else will too.

Get something to document the naturalization (i.e. nat. cert.) of your mother, and I don't see a problem. Since it's post-'51 you should be able...

I believe Belgium is 3 years. Everywhere else is either 5, 6 or 10 years.

Weird...this thread is, I'm pretty sure, the biggest and best thread this forum has.

You could try it, but technically it's not worth much. Technically, citizenship is passed from the father, up until the revision in the law in...

No idea. See if she'll do it for you. She may not care you're in the US as long as she's paid.

That's a hard question for me to answer because I don't know. From what I understand, you have to prove somehow that the person whom made you a...

A Polish birth certificate of your paternal grandFATHER and/or ideally HIS Polish passport. As far as finding out whether or not he became a US...

What are your specifics - dates of arrival in the US, became citizens? When? Military service outside Poland? Have old Polish documents from...

Let us know how your experience goes. I don't know if we've had someone talk about the NY consulate yet in here.

Sounds like you're on a good track. I'm not saying it will, because it probably won't, but you may want to call the consulate see if that is...

(1) Suppose my grandparents were married in Germany -- will that negatively adverse my attempt at proving citizenship? No, but then you'll just...

Firstly, as far as the town you're looking for, back then, a lot of towns had different names. Generally a Polish, German, and Yiddish one,...

Corrected post, and my apologies...I should have noted the "Polski" versus the feminine version. I meant no offense..... lo siento :/

polskiarg is correct. I didn't see the "former" part speaking about your grandfather...you're not in good shape buddy. Sorry for any misguided...

Verify the dates, and just for the hell of it, go ahead and request the USCIS document on your mother's naturalization. If her parents...

Poland became a republic in 1918. So, you would need a document from the Republic of Poland. As for your mother, from what I understand, a minor...

I agree with curious, but not to further dissuade you, I am not 100% sure you'll even be able to claim descent based on your grandmother. Most...

Re: Immigration Lawyer See previous posts. I believe a few have been mentioned in Part II of the thread.

I know, it's weird isn't it? I wish more people were trying to get their citizenship because it's fun to do this!

Congratulations! I'm sure it's quite fulfilling to have completed the process after so long! We all hope you'll still check in periodically...

ברוך הבא אחי

From what I know, its relatively quick doing the passport through the consulate, but I believe you have to physically be present to apply for it,...

I'm very happy to hear about another success story and I'm glad that I was able to help in any way. Good luck!

Thanks. It's out of my hands now for better or worse.

Congratulations! I hope I can have even a fraction of the success you've had with this process.

No one has done it that quickly. Plan on waiting longer.

Wait times are likely increasing by the day because of the volume of applications. In regards to the length of time, it depends on where you...

Thanks. I agree. I can speak a very limited amount, but I'm learning. I don't plan on moving there or using the EU benefits, but if I'm Polish...

Ozlon: Mind telling us where/how you heard this? From a friend/relative or a news article? Can you share the link if there is one?? If...

See this topic: http://www.easyexpat.com/forums/sutra_44820.htm There arw two sections, that's the 2nd of the two. Between the two, there...

Just another update: As I have previously mentioned, I applied directly in Warsaw via a very helpful guy. He's been checking back with them...

Just an update: It has now been 6 months since my confirmation of Polish citizenship was submitted directly to the office is Warsaw. No...

Just a bit of info: I applied directly in Warsaw. They said I would have a decision within 8 weeks. It's been 9 weeks, and they said to check...

What supporting documents did you submit? Old passport? Birth certificate? Did it specifically say "Obyw. Polski/a" in reference to your "link"...

Good luck to you :) Not to sound discouraging, but, what would make the attorney uncertain as to whether or not he can obtain a positive...

No problem... when I saw it at first I was thinking that I may be losing it because I didn't remember ever saying that. But then I looked back at...

I didn't say that... :)

I doubt they even care, though it would be nice to send some complaints. I have heard that Chicago is bad too, but that's probably because it's...

Thank you. I read the wikipedia article too and either it's been updated or I just overlooked a paragraph or two... Hearing about the draft...

Does anyone have concrete information on military service in Poland? I know some countries post charts based on your age of naturalization...

It's almost worth it to fly there and do it yourself. At least then you only wait 8 weeks... or so they say. :?

I believe that's the best option for you...keep us updated :)

I would recommend this forum for all your questions, to be honest. I knew zero about the process and through this forum I have learned more than...

What I've noticed in this process is that it's better to double and triple check everything, rather than wait for months to find out you did it...

I would say based on d7's information, your uncle most probably is eligible as well. In both your uncle's case and d7's case, it might be a sound...

Yes, but couldn't he apply for citizenship as if he never was a citizen? He can get his (assuming that it's a male) father's citizenship back...

Though I don't know anything specific about revoked citizenships during the communist period, I know as a rule of thumb that current nations in...

I guess there are a lot of expat Poles in the world... :wink:

They are reputable, but expensive as are all attorneys. What year were they born in Poland, and what year did they naturalize?

Think of it like this: you're a Mexican who doesn't speak any English and you come to the US and are applying for citizenship. Assuming the...

Good luck with the lawyers. Also, a relative would be better than a stranger, but probably not the best. If you cant speak Polish, it's your...

My recommendation is to avoid lawyers. They are very expensive there. I was quoted by two of them who wanted around US$1,000 to go to the...

I have a similar issue, and I spoke with a Polish lawyer and read a couple other articles and such, and all of the agree that the passport alone...

Rach, If your grandmother become a citizen of a country other than Poland before January of 1951, whether she requested this or it was given to...

I found this last night that I think could be helpful to many here: http://www.adwokat.com/cgi-bin/znajdz_en.cgi (the English version)...

I guess I will just have to send it in and see how it goes... :)

So what would they do exactly? I was unsuccessful myself in finding my grandfather's birth record - it was most surely destoryed by the Nazis....

Good news :) And thanks for the quick reply. I was ust looking at your Power of Attorney. Just to double check, the person MUST have Polish...

By the time I become (hopefully) a Polish citizen, I will be 22 years old. Will I still be required to do military service? I don't believe so,...

curiousgeorge puts it best...sorry if I misled you at all.

I'm still looking for the page(s) that I read, but here's something relatively similar to your situation... Not sure how the differences would...

I can't find the articles where I read about situations similarto yours in my research, but I'm almost positive that I read you are able to get it...

Amen :)

I think it was posted before that's why I haven't - but I will post anyway: http://staczek.com/en/ His name is Piotr Staczek (Adwokat). His...

That's what I assumed. I found a decent lawyer in Warsaw who has good credentials and a couple recommendations.

Does anyone know for fact whether or not Polish authorities require documentation of a change of name? I.e. my grandfather's name at...

From the official correspondance I had with the consulate, they stated I needed to have documentation of naturalization. Thus, if the name does...

I guess I'll post back when I find our from USCIS

Reply from the consulate: Dear Sir, if your grandfather was granted US citizenship before January 1951 it means that he lost Polish...

I actually emailed them earlier today. I also called the law firm in California yesterday but still haven't heard back. Who knows..... Thank...

Has anyone ever used or heard of this law firm (whose website is being "revised") http://www.polishcitizenship.pl/ If not, anyone know of...

I'll keep you posted. Thanks for the help :)

Ever though of going into citizenship law? :) You're great, thank you so much! This guide will help me so much. Two, hopefully, last...

I have access to a copy of passport used (grandfather and his mother shared a passport because he was 2). Possibly even can find the original but...

Thanks for the info. I guess the more info I can get the better off I am. I am just worried I'll get something that will hut me - though I doubt...

I also have access via US records (though I didn't request them yet) for naturalization dates. BUT my grandfather and his mother arrived in the US...

I am new to this forum posting, but I have read almost every post in this thread. I have a similar situation to many, but it has its differences....