citizenship for foreign born Croats

[americancroat]

Hello all, I am sorry if this is already been asked but I read about an Australian trying to get citizenship so I'd thought I would try.
I am trying to get citizenship for Croatia for myself in order to see family easier. I am an ethnic Croat, with direct family ties going back 700 years. However, thanks to the Ustasha and the second world War, my great grandfather fled Croatia for America. He had several kids in Croatia, but my grandfather was the youngest and was born in America. He would later return to obtain his Croatian citizenship after Yugoslavia's collapse. So my father and I are both American born, so I am technically a third generation American. With Croatia recovered from the war,my family here is starting to want to go back and I want to go with them. Every time I ask the consulate I get the run around if I am even eligible for citizenship. So I wanted to ask someone who will actually tell me yes or no. I have birth certificates for myself, my father, grandfather, and great grandfather. I also have proof of citizenship for my grandfather knowing he was born in the U.S. I speak semi-fluent Croatian from family and am willing to take any test to prove I am Croatian. If I cannot get a citizenship, I still plan to go back, but I'd rather not deal will all those resident visas if I don't have to.
If someone could please give me a direct answer to this problem, that would be very appreciated. Than you.

[prkbrk]

I think the issue might be that your grandfather was born in US, although he later became a Croat. My wife obtained her Croatian citizenship relatively easily to be honest as her grandparents were Croatian (had to provide the Croat birth certificate for them and this is likely your sticking point!), although her father was not born in Croatia and does not have Croatian citizenship. We did it directly with the police officials in Croatia as also found the Embassy to be somewhat vague around helping.

[ivetron]

americancroat, I am in a very similar position to you and I think it is quite possible. I have spoken directly, in person to the Assistant Croatian Consulate in LA and it's key that you have a birth certificate for your great grandfather as he was born in Croatia. And the citizenship status of your grandfather will help as well. I have slightly less proof than you do (I have copies of local birth records in Rijeka) and the representative seemed to think it's quite possible but I needed more papers such as a FBI criminal background check and I needed to take the citizenship test. I feel confidant that I can pull it off from research I've done, hearing other stories. I just need to gather everything and present it in person, take the test. Long process. If you are serious I would do all of this and present your documents to one of the locations in LA or NY and maybe there are other US locations. I see no reason why you couldn't do this in person in Croatia as well. More info below via the link. Good luck.

us.mvep.hr/

[Carol]

Could it be something to do with the fact that since 2013 a Croat citizenship is also an EU citizenship?

[Carol]

You think anyone of the 1st world should be free to emigrate to the EU, without restriction? The US doesn't seem to feel the same way.

What's wrong with the people from the 2nd world? Do they deserve less free access? How about the 3rd world?

[Ribaric]

Mar 20, 2015 19:44:18 GMT 1 @darko said:

why would you have to prove that youre of (croatian heritage) ? if youre from some 1st world western country?

That was a "shot-self-in-foot" statement there Darko. EU citizens cannot just go to the USA nor vice-versa, neither can just go to Australia or Canada, none of these can get into Switzerland or Norway. Being "1st world" means nothing in this respect.