I received a letter yesterday from the Ufficio della cittadinanza (citizenship office) at the questura (police station). I didn't file my pratica (file) at the questura, but rather at the prefettura (prefecture) so I was a bit perplexed by this letter. It stated that I needed to call them to make an appuntamento (appointment).
I tossed and turned most of the night wondering about what the appuntamento will entail. I thought about my future conversation, asking if something was missing or if they had bad news for me. I was sure that they weren't going to tell me that I received my cittadinanza this early since it was only about six weeks ago that I filed my pratica, but I couldn't help but wonder what this appuntamento would be for.
I waited until 8:45 a.m. to call the number they provided me with. I explained to the woman that I received a letter and was supposed to call. She told me that she was working alone and with the holidays, we'd have to have the colloquio (interview/conversation) in January.
We set up a date and time that worked for us both. I was a bit shocked by the word colloquio since I didn't know if they'd be asking me questions or if we'd just talk for some reason. I couldn't imagine what they could ask me that had something to do with my cittadinanza since I filed because my nonni (grandparents) were both born in Italy.
I asked her if I needed to bring anything and she said that it wasn't necessary. "Un'altra domanda. (One more question.)" I said. "Di cosa si tratta questo colloquio? (What is this interview about?)" She said that it was just a formality and that, "Visto che Lei parla bene italiano, bastano dieci o quindici minuti. (Seeing as though you speak Italian well, we'll only need ten or fifteen minutes.)" I felt a little more comfortable about this colloquio, but I am really eager to know what we'll be talking about as I can't imagine what they need to know that's not already in my pratica.
I'm still going to bring all of my cittadinanza papers to my colloquio just in case. Her last words to me were, "È solo una formalità. (It's only a formality.)" I felt a little more at ease, but I'm sure I'll have another sleepless night the day before the colloquio, which isn't for another few weeks.
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