All Aliyahs are on hold?

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Forum -> Inquiries & Offers -> Israel related Inquiries & Aliyah Questions

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amother

Mon, Jul 08 2013, 12:38 am

Has anyone heard any updates?

We are supposed to make Aliyah on July 29th. We sent in our passports for visas a few weeks ago (I think b4 the strike started).

My Aliyah Shaliach has been TERRIBLE about responding to emails & phone calls (even before the strike). I am starting to get nervous that we might not have our visas in time.

Has anyone come up with any solutions? (I can't even pay for my flight-assuming I could afford it- because they have our passports)

shabbatiscoming

Mon, Jul 08 2013, 1:55 am

I have heard about some people finally having aliyah dates. I guess there is a big back up so it will take time to process everything again.

amother

Wed, Jul 10 2013, 11:50 am

(July 29th amother from above)

Has Nefesh b'Nefesh been able to help anyone? Just emailed them today, waiting for a response.

My DH is getting nervous that we shouldn't send our lift. No clue what we're doing at this point.

Liba

Wed, Jul 10 2013, 12:05 pm

I can't find it now, but what I read about a week ago was they suggest that you should come on a tourist visa, with your paperwork showing you were approved for aliya, and NBN will help you get an appointment with misrad hapanim (the department of the interior) to get your teudat zehut and aliya visa on the spot. You may have to pay to release your shipment from customs but you will get a refund in the end.

Liba

Wed, Jul 10 2013, 1:05 pm

From my local email list:

Quote:

The strike at the Israeli Consuls around the world is ongoing and is
holding up Aliya visas for Olim. The story is not nearly as bad as we
thought, thanks to the efforts of Nefesh B Nefesh.

Who ever does not have an immigrant visa should come as a tourist. Before
you arrive, call the Global Center of the Jewish Agency (Can: -866-421-8912,
USA: 1-866-835-0430, Isr: 1 800 228 055), who will set up a meeting at the
Ministry of the Interior (Panim). There you present your yshur zackaot
(document of permission to make aliya), which you received from your
Shaliach. At the Misrad HaPanim, you receive your teudat zahoot (id
card) and aliyah visa. Then you go to the Misrad Haklita and get your
teudat oleh. The word is that this process should take a week or two.

Get private health insurance before coming. Customs has told NBN that if
olim have aliya benefits, they will pay full taxes, which customs will then
refund.

chaiz

Wed, Jul 10 2013, 7:17 pm

It seems that if you are going on the group/charter flight, they will help with the paperwork so that it will take a much shorter time for the status to change and as such get the benefits. I was just on the phone with the lady from NBN today and that is what I was told; unless I misunderstood.

amother

Sun, Jul 14 2013, 12:59 pm

chaiz wrote:

(I am the one who is supposed to go on July 29)
That is what I understood as well. NBN is saying that processing can take 4-7 weeks if you come on an individual flight but if you come on a group or charter flight they can help you do it in 5-6 DAYS. There is a group flight a couple of days after I am supposed to leave (I might be able to switch to it)

Has anyone come through like this? Are these numbers realistic?

I am trying to figure out about sending my lift and when I would be able to release it.

shanie5

Sun, Jul 14 2013, 11:50 pm

Should have read this thread before driving 2 1/2 hours to get to the Israeli consulate only to find it closed until further notice! My son is there, needs a visa, but cant get one as he is underage. Needs permission from me to stay, but I cant get the document signed at the consulate!! AARRRGGHHHH!!!!! This has been ongoing and ridiculous.

Yeah, I know, "Welcome to Israel!"

chaiz

Mon, Jul 15 2013, 11:56 pm

There is a group flight a couple of days after I am supposed to leave (I might be able to switch to it)

Has anyone come through like this? Are these numbers realistic?

I am trying to figure out about sending my lift and when I would be able to release it.[/quote]

There is a group flight from Newark on July 31. We pushed off our small shipment a week. See if you can work with the shipper. Our shipper so far has been very understanding and is trying to work with us. You should be able to get some storage time for free. Contact your shipper and see what they have to say.

amother

Tue, Jul 16 2013, 1:21 pm

chaiz wrote:

There is a group flight from Newark on July 31. We pushed off our small shipment a week. See if you can work with the shipper. Our shipper so far has been very understanding and is trying to work with us. You should be able to get some storage time for free. Contact your shipper and see what they have to say.[/quote]

I am scheduled on next weeks (July 22) charter flight. My shipment went already.

The Jewish Agency had us sign a declaration stating that we are aware that we will be unable to receive Oleh benefits at the airport with the exception of the free taxi ride.

We will have to call the global number once we get there, and they will assign a misrad hapnim appointment to each person who was on the flight. We need to bring originals of all papers as well as a printed copy of the Jewish Agency file approval (accessible from the Jewish Agency).

Once we get Misrad Hapnim approval, we will have to go to Misrad HaKlita ourselves and arrange our benefits. This includes tax-free shipping. If your shipment comes before the benefits, you will have to pay it and you will get reimbursed.

Please let me know if this was helpful.

amother

Tue, Jul 16 2013, 1:25 pm

July 22 amother here..

Also, I want to point out. You can only hold a consolidated (partial) shipment. If you have a full container, you can't hold it at port at all.

Since the Aliyah will be going through Misrad Hapnim, you also need a Letter of Conduct from the Police in your city and have an apostille on it. This shows you are not a felon. If you live in NYC this takes 10 business days, so you might want to start on it. You can only get it at 1 Police Plaza.

amother

Tue, Jul 16 2013, 1:32 pm

amother wrote:

chaiz wrote:

I am scheduled on next weeks (July 22) charter flight. My shipment went already.

The Jewish Agency had us sign a declaration stating that we are aware that we will be unable to receive Oleh benefits at the airport with the exception of the free taxi ride.

We will have to call the global number once we get there, and they will assign a misrad hapnim appointment to each person who was on the flight. We need to bring originals of all papers as well as a printed copy of the Jewish Agency file approval (accessible from the Jewish Agency).

Once we get Misrad Hapnim approval, we will have to go to Misrad HaKlita ourselves and arrange our benefits. This includes tax-free shipping. If your shipment comes before the benefits, you will have to pay it and you will get reimbursed.

Please let me know if this was helpful.[/quote]

(July 29th Amother)
This is what NBN told me. They said this process could take 4-7 weeks, but that if you come on a group or charter flight it is only 5-6 days. Was anyone else told this?

Quote:

Since the Aliyah will be going through Misrad Hapnim, you also need a Letter of Conduct from the Police in your city and have an apostille on it. This shows you are not a felon. If you live in NYC this takes 10 business days, so you might want to start on it. You can only get it at 1 Police Plaza.

Someone mentioned this, but it's not on any of the paperwork at all. I'm not in NY (I'm in Lakewood) but I have no clue how to go about getting this. What exactly do I ask for? from whom? Do they automatically notarize it?

shanie5

Tue, Jul 16 2013, 1:41 pm

amother wrote:

An apostille seal is given by the state department. You get the document or statement notarized, then send it to the state dept along with payment ($15) I think. They will process it, put the seal on it and send it back to you. I did this for my underage son (only to have the woman at the visa office in Israel say its not good enough to give him a visa).

http://www.state.nj.us/health/.....shtml

From this site:

Getting an Apostille Seal – An Apostille Seal is an additional seal required for certain certified records that will be presented to a foreign government that is a member of the Hague Treaty. Also, the seal is often required on documents for international adoptions or establishing dual citizenship. Contact the consulate of the country involved to determine if you need an Apostille Seal.

To get a record with an Apostille Seal, first obtain a certified copy of the vital record from the Office of Vital Statistics and Registry. Indicate on your application that it will need an Apostille Seal, and you will receive a certified copy of the vital record with the original signature of the State Registrar or Assistant State Registrar. You must forward this document to the New Jersey Department of Treasury, which issues the Apostille Seal.

amother

Tue, Jul 16 2013, 4:06 pm

amother wrote:

(July 29th Amother)
This is what NBN told me. They said this process could take 4-7 weeks, but that if you come on a group or charter flight it is only 5-6 days. Was anyone else told this?

Quote:

I live in NY. In NY you go to 1 Police Plaza, put a request in. They fingerprint you and a letter is generated in 10 business days.

Once you have the letter, you need to get it certified by the NY City Clerk.

Once it is certified by the NY City Clerk, you go to the NY Department of State and get an Apostilled.

In NJ, I imagine the process is the same. First get the letter, then certify it, and finally get an apostille.

THe link I found for the NJ process is http://www.nj.gov/njsp/about/serv_chrc.html.

This letter is not normally necessary when doing an Aliyah through Nefesh B'Nefesh and Jewish Agency/Consulate (Ministry of Foreign Affairs).

The letter is necessary when doing Aliyah from within Israel (Ministry of Interior) by changing your visa status from visitor to Oleh.

Since in this case, due to the strike, all olim going with Nefesh B'Nefesh without a visa will need to refile paperwork in Israel with the Misrad Hapnim as if they were just changing a tourist visa with an Oleh visa, the letter is necessary.

All the best!

shabri

Tue, Jul 16 2013, 4:18 pm

We made Aliyah from within Israel a few years ago. Instead of getting a letter from the police and getting it apostled we were able to get a letter from a lawyer attesting to us not being criminals. Maybe ask nbn if that's an option. We used a friend who is an Israeli lawyer but really any lawyer will do it.

amother

Wed, Jul 17 2013, 11:29 am

(July 29)
Just spoke to NBN- no room on group flight plus huge cancelation fee for the flight I have. Guess I'm not switching.

Anyone know how much tax we would pay if our lift comes in b4 I finish my processing? I know we'll get it back, but need to know how much we would need to lay out.

chaiz

Wed, Jul 17 2013, 9:02 pm

Last amother, our shipper told us it is 35% of the shipment. From my understanding that means 35% of the shipment's value. Even if you have a relatively small shipment that can be a few thousand dollars. You should be in contact with your shipper about this.

FranticFrummie

Thu, Jul 18 2013, 6:12 am

Holy cats, what a nightmare! shock

for all you brave amothers who are going through this. Hug

May this be the last of your worries!

Marion

Thu, Jul 18 2013, 7:42 am

If anyone needs a place to crash (or mattresses to borrow) you're welcome to come here.

amother

Thu, Aug 01 2013, 1:12 am

Just to provide an update. July 22 amother here.

Misrad Hapnim was on the flight and gave oleh visas mid-flight.

The rest was routine - misrad haklita, etc

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