MARCO PERMUNIAN
FOUNDER and U.S. Office Director
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Marco is an attorney. He received his law degree from the University of Ferrara, Italy. For ICA, he focuses on all facets of the Italian “civil law” system, bringing his extraordinary and incomparable expertise in the fields of Italian and U.S. citizenship and immigration law. He speaks fluent English, Italian, and Spanish.
Prior to founding ICA, Marco worked in Milan and New York with law firms specializing in domestic and cross-border corporate transactions, commercial, intellectual property, immigration, and entertainment law matters. At ICA, Marco is responsible for assessing complicated citizenship cases, providing legal opinions, researching Italian records and for any other issues concerning the Italian citizenship law.
Marco now resides in Los Angeles.
GLORIA CAON
“ITALIAN CITIZENSHIP BY MARRIAGE” SPECIALIST
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Gloria obtained a BA in Linguistic Mediation specializing in translation and interpreting. Afterwards, she spent some time in the Dominican Republic working in the entertainment business, then moved to Belgium to improve her foreign language skills and, right before becoming part of ICA team, she worked as an English teacher.
A strong and prepared professional, Gloria primarily deals with applications for Italian citizenship by marriage. With a head for this job and more than 4 years of experience, Gloria is extremely knowledgeable of the “jure matrimonii” process and is able to quickly assess cases and predict the most probable outcome of an application.
She has successfully helped numerous spouses of Italian citizens with their application for Italian citizenship by marriage.
She is very passionate about what she does, studies hard to keep up to date with the latest law changes and reforms and her desire to help people is what drives her. She is an invaluable member of our team, loved not only by all of the clients that she helps but also by everyone who knows her or crosses paths with her.
In her spare time, Gloria likes to work as an entertainer at children’s birthday parties and loves spending time with her international friends. She is also a fierce traveler and a passionate amateur singer.
She is fluent in Italian, English, and French.
ANNA ARPAIA
“CITIZENSHIP BY DESCENT” EXPERT AND PROFESSIONAL GENEALOGIST
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Anna obtained a BA degree in History from Padua University in 2011 and an MA degree in Historical Science in 2013. Afterward, she took English and cultural classes at MassBay Community College in Newton, MA. Prior to joining ICA, Anna worked in Boston teaching the Italian language to the children of Italian-American families.
Thanks to her academic background and personal studies, Anna is an expert genealogical researcher and has extensive experience in using Italian and US genealogy databases. She is also an expert in amendments and corrections to US and Italian Vital records. Anna routinely handles complex applications for Italian citizenship by descent (jure sanguinis) and by marriage.
In her spare time, Anna loves spending time with children (she volunteered in a Brazilian kindergarten back in 2008) and currently helps children in her neighborhood prepare for their English tests. Anna owns a house on the Sicilian island of Favignana and loves spending the summer holidays there enjoying the local Italian cuisine.
She is fluent in English and Italian.
ALICE SCARONI
“CITIZENSHIP BY DESCENT” EXPERT
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Alice graduated from The University of Ca’ Foscari in Venice, Italy, in 2014 where she majored in business and foreign languages. She then obtained her Master’s degree at the Università degli Studi Internazionali in Rome, Italy.
Alice initially spent time studying foreign languages abroad in New York City and San Francisco, where she became more acquainted with the Italian American community sparking her interest in the subject of dual nationality and how she would be able to assist the community of people who she fell in love with while abroad. She then decided to move permanently to the US.
Aliceis another one of our expert genealogical researchers with extensive knowledge on the usage of Italian and US genealogy databases. Her expertise also is with amendments and corrections to US and Italian Vital records.Her personal experience and knowledge of the Italian legal system and ability to unravel even the most complex cases is truly an asset to our team.
Alice is fluent in Italian, English and Spanish
PETRA SVOB
“CITIZENSHIP BY DESCENT” EXPERT
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Petra was born in Rijeka (Fiume), Croatia, a former Italian territory. In 2014 she obtained her Bachelor of Arts degree in English Language and Literature from the University of Ljubljana, in Slovenia. After graduating she continued her studies at the same University where she obtained her Master of Arts with full marks in English Literature, Linguistics and Translation in 2017.
After graduating Petra worked as a researcher at the University of Porto, which ranks among the top universities in the world. While working in academia, Petra was a part of the executive committee which organized international conferences and webinars. She was also an active member of the University’s associations and forums and she organized both language courses for foreigners and seminars for students.
Petra’s role in ICA is to assists clients in the United States throughout the dual citizenship application process. She specializes in the procurement of documents from the United States and Italy, she amends vital records and she also carries out complex genealogical research. Petra has extensive knowledge of the laws that regulate Italian citizenship application processes in Italy and in Italian consulates abroad.
Her work philosophy is to provide clients not only with valuable help and support throughout the entire application process but also to provide them with the tools and the information they need in order to be able to move forward with their lives as dual citizens, once they have acquired Italian citizenship. She routinely provides to her clients information regarding the laws that apply to Italian citizens when traveling between countries, and the procedures that need to be carried out when residing abroad permanently such as registration with AIRE, which is the Registry Office for Italian Citizens Residing Abroad, and passport renewals.
Petra loves literature and she enjoys traveling and learning foreign languages.
She also spends a lot of time with her family and her dog Pavle outdoor.
Languages: Italian, English and South Slavic languages.
YANA KITAEVA
“CITIZENSHIP BY DESCENT” EXPERT
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Born in Saint-Petersburg, Russia, Yana is a passionate historian with several years of experience in archival research across multiple countries. She earned her BA degree in History at the ‘Higher School of Economics’ in Saint Petersburg, Russia. She then moved to Budapest, Hungary, where she achieved an MA degree in History, with a specialization in archival research, at the Central European University. Throughout her BA and MA studies she worked in various archives in Russia and Hungary.
It was her love for learning about different cultures that sparked her interest in genealogy. In particular, she enjoys examining how generations have migrated across continents, especially Italian migration flows to the United States in the late 1800 and early 1900.
Before joining the ICA team, Yana frequently gave presentations and lectures on topics surrounding Italian history. She wrote multiple articles on that topic and participated in workshops in Rome, Moscow, Heidelberg, Berlin, Copenhagen, and Budapest.
Hoping to find a job that combined her passion as a historian and genealogist as well as her interest in different cultures, Yana has become an invaluable addition to the Italian Citizenship Assistance team. At ICA, she handles cases for individuals who are applying for Italian citizenship by descent both via lawsuits and consular appointments. In particular, she has expert knowledge in cases where a great amount of genealogical research is required.
When Yana is not in the office she enjoys hiking with her husband and visiting museums.
Yana is fluent in Italian, English and Russian and is currently learning Croatian.
GIULIA TESSARIN
“CITIZENSHIP BY DESCENT” EXPERT
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Giulia graduated in 2016 in Language, Civilization and Science of Language from Ca’ Foscari University of Venice. She then obtained her Master’s degree in European, American and Postcolonial Language and Literature. Her studies had a main focus on the fields of English and Russian languages, cultures and literatures.
Giulia later attended Pushkin State Russian Language Institute in Moscow and the faculty of “Journalism and Mass Communication” at Saint Petersburg State University, where she approached and became acquainted with the concept of multiculturalism and developed her linguistic skills.
During her time abroad, she became interested in immigration law and dual citizenship.
As a part of ICA, she specializes in assisting clients from beginning to end with their Italian citizenship application process in the United States. To say that Giulia is passionate about the needs and goals of her clients is an understatement as she goes above and beyond expectations.
Her duties include scheduling appointments at Italian consulates for ICA clients, procuring and amending Italian, US and Canadian documents, preparing clients for their interviews at the Italian Consulates and preparing all the forms and documents needed to apply for Italian citizenship jure sanguinis (by descent).
Giulia is also an expert in genealogy research with extensive knowledge of how to use Italian and US genealogy websites and databases.
When she is not working, she loves travelling, literature and photography. She is a big fan of the Italian soccer team Juventus.
Giulia is fluent in Italian, English and Russian.
LAURA LUNARI
“CITIZENSHIP BY DESCENT” EXPERT AND GENEALOGIST
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One of ICA’s first team members, Laura studied science and graduated from the University of Ferrara in 2010. Soon after graduation she realized she had a passion for travel. She travelled around the world and lived in a number of countries before returning to Italy to join ICA. One of the countries Laura lived in was Australia and during her time there she had the opportunity to become acquainted with the local culture and habits which she still finds very fascinating. In Australia Laura worked as a researcher for the University of Sydney. After spending time with the Italian-Australian community of Sydney, she realized that her dream was to teach the Italian Language and share Italian culture. In her spare time Laura worked as an Italian teacher for the local Italian community and as an au pair for the children of an Italian-Australian family with whom she is still in close contact.
Laura also lived in Canada where she worked for the University of Vancouver where she came into contact with the local Italian-Canadian community and saw again the desire and passion people have to connect with their Italian roots. After spending some time working on dual citizenship cases pro bono, Laura decided to join the ICA team.
Laura is a member of ICA’s team of expert genealogical researchers and dual citizenship experts and helps our clients wishing to apply for citizenship by descent. The many years of experience working on citizenship cases makes her the perfect fit to handle difficult citizenship cases involving delicate situations. Along with helping our US clients, Laura assists most of ICA Canadian and Australian clients.
She is fluent in English and Spanish and speaks conversational French
ANNA SIMONCINI
“CITIZENSHIP BY DESCENT” EXPERT
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Anna studied at the University of Ca’ Foscari in Venice where she obtained her undergraduate degree with full marks in Foreign Languages (English and Russian), and where she also completed her Master’s degree in International Relations. Anna is very passionate about international law; as a student she participated in a number of research programs offered by international organizations and she also attended a Harvard Law School program.
Throughout the years Anna has built her expertise in handling complex citizenship cases with a special focus on citizenship applications which are submitted to Italian consulates in the United States. She is an expert in the laws that regulate dual citizenship application processes in Italy and in the procurement of US vital records. She is also a professional genealogical researcher and an excellent translator.
Anna is an amateur singer and she loves traveling and experiencing different cultures. She is also passionate about rhythmic gymnastics which is her favorite sport.
Languages: English, Russian and Italian.
ANAMARIA KARNELUTI
CITIZENSHIP BY DESCENT SPECIALIST
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Anamaria was born in Rijeka, Croatia, which was once a former territory of Italy. She obtained her Bachelor’s degree in Russian and Spanish Languages and Translation from the University of Zagreb, Croatia. After graduating, she worked as a researcher at the University of St. Petersburg, Russia, where she gained in-depth knowledge of the rules governing immigration. This triggered her interest in immigration law and dual citizenship. In her spare time, she volunteered as an English teacher for Russian children.
Prior to joining ICA, Anamaria worked as an executive manager in a number of companies in the hospitality sector both in Istria and Kvarner, Croatia. Her duties included organizing conferences and events for American, English, Russian and Ukrainian entrepreneurs. These experiences allowed her to develop excellent organizational, communication and customer service skills. Anamaria also enhanced her interpersonal skills as a result of engaging with people from all over the world.
Anamaria’s role at Italian Citizenship Assistance is to assist clients throughout the process of obtaining Italian citizenship by descent. Anamaria has gained extensive knowledge of the intricacies regarding the dual citizenship application process and she specializes in genealogical research and requesting documents from the US. She also handles complex amendments and corrections on vital records, which are needed for clients’ citizenship applications to be successful. Anamaria is very passionate about the Italian dual citizenship process and is very thorough and detailed-oriented. Many of ICA’s clients have often complimented her for working on each citizenship application with great dedication and care.
In her free time, Anamaria enjoys watching movies, reading and improving her language skills. She speaks fluent Italian, English, Croatian, Russian and Spanish.
EMILIA MUNARO
AMENDMENTS AND CORRECTIONS EXPERT
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Emilia obtained a Bachelor’s Degree in Languages, Civilization and the Science of Language at Ca’ Foscari University of Venice in 2016. There, she studied Swedish and Languages from the Americas and later went on to obtain a Degree in European, American and other Post-colonial Languages and Literatures with a master’s degree in international relations and immigration law. After graduation, Emilia moved to the United States where she worked for several firms dealing with civil rights and family law.
At ICA Emilia has had extensive experience amending and correcting vital records, successfully solving discrepancies that are often found in an individual’s documents and ensuring that all certificates are acceptable for the Italian citizenship process. She draws on her experience to offer all of our current clients the assistance they need when navigating the often over-complicated process to correct misspellings on their documents, especially older documents from the late 1800’s and early 1900’s.
She has a keen eye for noticing even when even minor corrections would be necessary. To say that she analyzes each case with extreme care and attention is an understatement. Emilia’s role at ICA is to ensure that everything goes smoothly during our clients’ dual citizenship application process.
She is fluent in Italian, English and Swedish.
GIOVANNA MIOLA
CITIZENSHIP BY DESCENT SPECIALIST
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Giovanna holds a BA degree in Political Science and International Relations from the University of Padua as well as a Master’s degree in Human Rights and Multilevel Governance. The main focus of her studies was international protection of human rights, European citizenship, the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals and gender equality. However, Giovanna is also passionate about sustainable development and active citizenship. This is the why during her studies she participated in a number of projects offered by institutional organizations which helped her gain a better understanding of global affairs. She also attended a number of courses on European project planning, Events and Communication.
Prior to joining ICA, Giovanna worked in the public sector and for several non-profit organizations which were affiliated to the UN’s Department of Global Communication.
As part of the ICA team, Giovanna assists clients with retrieving documents to support their applications for citizenship by descent. In particular, she focuses on applications for Italian citizenship which are filed in Italy, and on applications which are filed at Italian consulates outside of the US. Her duties include providing advice on residency requirements for US individuals who live abroad and who wish to file their application in Italy, and acting as liaison with the Italian consulates around the world.
In her spare time Giovanna enjoys going to art exhibitions. She loves historical literature and yoga.
She is fluent in English and French.
GIULIA ROMITO
CITIZENSHIP BY DESCENT SPECIALIST
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Giulia obtained a BA degree in Linguistic and Cultural Mediation and American History from Padua University in 2016, and an MA degree in Languages from Ca’ Foscari University in Venice in 2018. Her studies focused on Romanian language and culture and on teaching English as a foreign language.
Giulia has lived in France, England, Romania and Spain where she greatly improved her language skills. During her time abroad, she worked as an interpreter and as a marketing director for an import/export Italian company which is famous worldwide for exporting Italian agricultural products.
Giulia’s role at ICA is to assists clients throughout their dual citizenship application process. Giulia has an eye for detail and she is particularly versed in genealogical research. In particular, she focuses on researching US records from 1800 to WWII. She is also very kind and patient, and she enjoys helping clients with complex cases which need extensive genealogical research.
During her spare time she loves reading, drawing and singing.
Giulia is fluent in English, French, Spanish and Romanian.
KORINA ZORETIĆ
1948 CASES SPECIALIST
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Korina’s academic background is in administrative law, however, she also holds an MA in both History and English Language and Literature. Prior to joining ICA, Korina worked and volunteered for a number of NGOs and she gained extensive experience in international settings by working with people from different cultural backgrounds.
Korina’s role at ICA is to help clients retrieve documents from the US which are needed to support their petition for citizenship via the court system. She is specialized in genealogical research, particularly in retrieving US vital records (both civil and religious) issued prior to 1900. She is also an expert on amendments to vital records issued prior to 1940 and has obtained several complex amendments to old records which were crucial for numerous cases. Korina also acts as liaison with ICA’s Italian attorneys who are specialized in 1948 cases.
Korina has always been interested in law and history and she has combined this passion with the work she carries out for ICA’s clients.
In her free time Korina enjoys reading about history and psychology and learning languages. She speaks Italian, English and Croatian fluently, she speaks and understands Slovak and she is currently learning German and Dutch.
ALESSIA SPIGA
1948 CASES SPECIALIST
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Alessia graduated in Foreign Languages (Spanish and English) and Cultural Mediation from the University of Udine, Italy, in 2016. She specialized in English and Spanish literature, culture and translation. During her undergraduate studies she spent a year at the University of Murcia, in Spain, and after obtaining her bachelor degree she pursued a two-year Master’s degree in Languages and International Cooperation at the University of Bologna, Italy. In the second year of her master’s program, she studied Intercultural Communication at the University of Utrecht, in the Netherlands, where she also worked as a teaching assistant and taught Italian to undergraduate students.
While travelling and studying abroad Alessia met people from various cultural backgrounds, she learnt about different cultures and developed excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
Alessia’s role at ICA is to help clients throughout their citizenship application process with particular attention being devoted to retrieving records from the United States to support 1948 case. In fact, her field of expertise is preparing cases for clients who need to file their citizenship application in Italy via a judicial proceeding (1948 cases).
Alessia loves traveling and learning about different cultures and languages. During her spare time, she likes reading, writing, dancing and cooking. She is fluent in English and Spanish.
CLAUDIA BERTO
OFFICE MANAGER AND PROFESSIONAL GENEALOGIST
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Claudia majored in foreign languages at the University of Padua in 2015. She is well-equipped to handle highly difficult situations and execute detail-oriented follow through. Her dedication to our the needs of both our company and clients is tireless and incomparable. On a day-to-day basis, Claudia oversees all of ICA’s clients and acts as a liaison between the Italian and US offices. At ICA, she is responsible for genealogy research and business management. She is also a professional genealogical researcher specializing in Italian vital records.
Claudia is fluent in Italian, English and Russian.
PAIGE VANN
LOS ANGELES OFFICE MANAGER
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Paige was born in California. Her love for Italian culture began when she spent time in San Francisco, particularly in the North Beach neighborhood (or ‘Little Italy’), where she worked as a business development associate for a well-known Italian restaurant chain. In particular, thanks to this experience she learned more about American-Italian culture and heritage and how it has survived so many generations. However, it was her encounter with Marco Permunian which spurred her interest in pursuing a carrier in dual citizenship law.
At ICA, Paige works with her twin sister Brooke in ensuring that all operations run as smoothly and as efficiently as possible. In particular, Paige coordinates activities among the offices in the US which are responsible for providing ICA’s clients with the vital records and legal paperwork needed to apply for Italian citizenship by descent.
Paige prides herself in providing quality work for her clients and delivering above and beyond what they need. Paige also manages ICA’s social media accounts and oversees ICA’s marketing strategies.
In her free time Paige spends time with her two daughters and her sister thrift shopping, hiking or painting. She also very passionate about antiques.