Consular Officer Speaks to High Tech Professionals about Visa Procedures

On Sept. 6, a consular officer spoke about visa procedures at a conference on U.S.-Israel trade relations hosted by the Manufacturers' Association of Israel (MAI). More than 50 technology professionals attended the event to learn more about the visa application process and how to prepare for a visa interview.

The consular officer emphasized the importance of applying early—especially for applicants who work in sensitive technical or scientific fields—as some applications may require additional administrative processing. The processing, on average, takes approximately four weeks to complete, but can sometimes take longer during peak travel seasons.

The consular officer also reminded attendees that applicants who bring detailed documentation to the interview can help the Embassy begin processing their cases right away. For a list of recommended documents applicants should bring to the interview, visit the following link: http://israel.usembassy.gov/consular/niv/nonimmigrant/information-for-applicants-with-a-technical-or-scientific-background.html.

The Embassy's goal is to facilitate legitimate business travel by issuing visas in a timely manner, the consular officer said. However, we expect business travelers to: 1) plan ahead and apply for a visa as far in advance of their travel as possible, and 2), to prepare for the interview by bringing the recommended documents and being able to clearly and concisely describe their travel/business plans.

"Ultimately, the better prepared you are for the visa interview, the more efficiently we can process your visa," the consular officer concluded.

Ask the Consul: How Do I Renew My U.S. Passport?

Answer: Thanks for your question! If your U.S. passport has expired or is about to expire, we strongly recommend that you renew as soon as possible. We recommend that all Americans living abroad maintain a valid passport at all times for proof of citizenship in case of emergency.

Most adult passport renewals can be done by mail or drop off without the personal appearance of the applicant at the Embassy. You can use our Application For U.S. Passport By Mail (DS-82) service if ALL of the following are true in your case: 

·   You can submit my most recent, undamaged passport AND

·   You were at least 16 years old when your most recent passport was issued AND

·   You were issued your most recent passport in the last 15 years AND

·   You use the same name as on your most recent passport or since your passport was issued, OR you have had your named changed by marriage or court order and can submit proper original documentation to reflect your name-change

If you answered NO to any of the four statements above, stop! You cannot use Form DS-82. You must make an appointment and apply in person.  For information about making an appointment, visit: http://israel.usembassy.gov/consular/acs/appointments.html. For complete application instructions, visit our website.

First time applicant? The application process is a bit different. Please make an appointment at http://israel.usembassy.gov/consular/acs/appointments.html, then follow the instructions here.

Still have more questions? Send us a note at AMCTelAviv@state.gov. We’re happy to answer!

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Ask the Consul is a regular feature on the Consular Round Up blog. Every few weeks, one of the Embassy's Consular Officers answers an interesting consular question we've received from one of our readers. Think you can stump us? To submit a question, leave a comment, post one on our Facebook wall or send us an email at NIVTelAviv@state.gov. We look forward to hearing from you!

Federal Benefits Unit Moves to U.S. Consulate General Jerusalem

Due to the decision of the Social Security Administration to consolidate Federal Benefits workloads within Israel, Jerusalem, the West Bank, and Gaza, the Federal Benefits Unit in Tel Aviv closed permanently on Wednesday, June 22, 2011.  

All Federal Benefits work from Tel Aviv has been transferred to the Federal Benefits Unit at the U.S. Consulate General in Jerusalem. The U.S. Embassy in Tel Aviv no longer has access to the Social Security Administration computer system and cannot provide Federal Benefits services.    

To receive direct service from trained Federal Benefits specialists, you should direct all such inquiries towards the Federal Benefits Unit at the U.S. Consulate General in Jerusalem.  They can be contacted at:

Website: http://jerusalem.usconsulate.gov/federal_benefits.html

Telephone: Call Center Hours 8:30 AM - 1:30 PM, Monday - Thursday at 02-630-4031   

Fax: 02-630-4070

Email: fbu.jerusalem@ssa.gov

In-person inquiries by appointment only: U.S. Consulate General, Consular Section, 14 David Flusser, Jerusalem 93392 

Mailing Address: U.S. Consulate General, Attn: Federal Benefits Unit, P.O. Box 290, 91002 Jerusalem

Consular Section Welcomes New Consul General Lawrence Mire

Consul General Lawrence Mire

The Consular Section welcomes our new Consul General Lawrence Mire to post this August.

Mire is a 30 year veteran of the Foreign Service who has spent most of his career in East Asia. He comes to U.S. Embassy Tel Aviv after leading Frankfurt's Consular section, Manila's Immigrant Visa unit and the FSI Japanese language field school in Yokohama. Mire is married to Yukari Mire, a certified Senior Instructor of the Ikenobo school of Ikebana  (Japanese traditional flower arranging).

“It’s been over 25 years since I last visited Tel Aviv as a newly minted vice-consul assigned to Jerusalem,” Mire said. “I look forward to catching up on the many changes.”

Consulate Cautions Against Diversity Visa Scams

The U.S. Consulate General in Jerusalem advises the public of a notable increase in fraudulent emails and letters sent to Diversity Immigrant Visa (DV) program (Visa Lottery) applicants.  The scammers behind these fraudulent emails and letters are posing as the U.S. Government in an attempt to extract payment from DV applicants.

In a recent DV scam, an email instructs recipients to send money via Western Union to a fictitious person at the U.S. Embassy in London.  If you have received this email, you have been targeted by con artists.  UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES should money be sent to any address for participation in the DV Lottery.  The only official way to receive status updates is through the DV program website at http://www.dvlottery.state.gov/.  Entrants will also not be asked to send money to the Kentucky Consular Center (KCC) or any U.S. embassy or consulate.  All application fees will be paid at the time of the individual’s interview at the U.S. embassy or consulate.
 
DV entrants for DV-2011 can check their status online through the U.S. Department of State secure online site, http://www.dvlottery.state.gov/, until June 2011.  Entrants who completed online DV-2012 entries will not receive notification letters from the KCC.  Rather, they must check the status of their entries themselves through the Entrant Status Check available at http://www.dvlottery.state.gov/ between May 1, 2011, and June 30, 2012.

Complaints about unwanted e-mails that appear to be DV scams may be submitted to the U.S. Department of Justice.  For more information on filing a complaint with the U.S. Department of Justice go to www.usdoj.gov/spam.htm.  All applicants for the DV program should be familiar with information about DV scams compiled by the U.S. Federal Trade Commission website:  http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/pubs/consumer/alerts/alt003.shtm.

Applicants are encouraged to review the rules and procedures for the DV program so that they know what to expect, when to expect it, and from whom.  More information about the DV program is available at www.dvlottery.state.gov.

For more information please contact the U.S. Consulate’s Press Office at 02-622-6908 or 02-622-6909 or Hassna Dajani at 054-678-8455.

Advice for Visa Applicants Who Work in Scientific or Technology Fields

Do you work or study in a sensitive scientific or technical field? If so, your visa may be subject to additional processing.

The processing, on average, takes approximately four weeks to complete. Per U.S. visa laws and regulations the validity of your visa may also be limited, depending upon the visa category.

Want to help us process your case faster? Come to your interview prepared!

Applicants who present detailed information at the interview can help us begin processing those cases right away. Otherwise, we have to wait until the necessary information is submitted—additional processing cannot begin until we receive that information. Non-refundable flight reservations or other travel plans should not be finalized until after you have received your visa.  This process cannot be expedited.

Information that the consular officer will need varies, and we suggest applicants come prepared to present the following information, in writing, at the interview:

• A detailed description of your current business, research or study program interests.
• Information about your current position and location of current work (including address and phone number).
• Complete CV/resume.
• International travel history for the past 10 years (names of countries and years visited).
• Travel itinerary for current trip.
• Letter of invitation, including the address, website, and contact information of the company and/or institution that you intend to visit in the United States.
• The point of contact at the company and/or institution.
• Details about the business, research or studies you plan to conduct in the United States.
• Details about the source of funding for the trip.
• Location and manner in which you will use the goods or knowledge acquired in the United States.
• List of your publications, if any.
• Letter of invitation from U.S. sponsor (if applicable).
• Details about the conference you plan to attend.
• Conference registration confirmation (if available)
• Export license numbers covering the activity, if relevant.

Is Your Visa Application Subject to Additional Processing? Now You Can Check Your Status Online!

To provide better service to visa applicants subject to additional processing, U.S. Embassy Tel Aviv is now offering online notification to applicants whose visas are ready to be issued.  Instead of emailing us to check the status of your case, you can now check it on our website.

To see if your visa is ready to be issued, visit the Embassy's "Check Status" page at http://israel.usembassy.gov/consular/niv/checkstatus.html.

·         If the confirmation number (barcode number) from your DS-160 application appears on this list, your visa is ready to be issued. Please send your passport to the Embassy through the post office courier. 

·         If your confirmation number does not appear on the list, your case is still pending administrative processing.  Please do not contact the Embassy to inquire further; inquiries on visa status will not be answered. This process cannot be expedited.

The list of approved visas is updated daily. Since administrative processing generally takes four weeks, we recommend applicants wait at least 30 days after their interview date to check their status online.

For any other questions about administrative processing, you may send an email to TLVSpecials@state.gov.

This post only applies to applicants whose visas are subject to administrative processing.