IDF Briefs Consular Section Staff on Keva Corps

Captain Shuki Hassan of the Israel Defense Forces’ (IDF) Personnel Division, briefed the Consular Section on the IDF’s Keva program on July 22. Keva is the Hebrew word for the IDF’s permanent corps.

Army service is an important part of the Visa Section’s evaluation of young Israelis’ ties to Israel. Vice Consuls had the opportunity to learn more about the criteria for entrance and contrac-tual obligations of soldiers serving in keva.

Lt. Col. Michael Murphy of the Embassy’s Defense Attaché Office facilitated the briefing.

Easing of U.S. HIV Rule Benefits Applicants

Due to recent changes to U.S. immigration rules, HIV-positive visa applicants are no longer required to answer “yes” to the DS-160 application question: “Have you ever been afflicted with a communicable dis-ease of public health significance?”

Last year, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services published a final rule that removed HIV from the list of commu-nicable diseases of public health significance.

Learn more at the following link: http://travel.state.gov/visa/laws/telegrams/telegrams_4631.html.

Passport and Citizenship Services Fees Increase

The Department of State recently announced increases in consular services fees, including passport and notarial fees, effective July 13.

The new fees are:

- An adult passport (using form DS-82) will change from USD 75 to USD 110.
- A minor passport (under age 16, using form DS-11) will change from USD 85 to USD 105.
- An adult passport (using form DS-11) will change from USD 100 to USD 135. Please refer to www.travel.state.gov to determine which form is appropriate.
- The application fee for passport cards will increase, from USD 20 to USD 30 for adults, and from USD 10 to USD 15 for minors.
- A new fee of USD 82 for additional passport pages will be imposed.
- The fee for a Consular Report of Birth Abroad will change from USD 65 to USD 100.

Find the complete list of fee increases online at http://travel.state.gov/passport/fees/fees_5079.html.

Happy Independence Day!

Happy Fourth of July to all our American citizen friends!

The Consular Section of U.S. Embassy Tel Aviv extends best wishes to all our American and Israeli friends for a fun-filled independence day celebration.

Consul General Visits Migdal Ohr Youth Village

Consul General Andrew Parker and several Embassy staff members visited Migdal Ohr, one of Israel’s largest youth villages, in Migdal HaEmek on June 21, 2010.

Under the direction of Rabbi Yitz-chak David Grossman, Migdal Ohr houses and educates more than 6,500 orphaned and impoverished children. The organization also runs prisoner rehabilitation programs and a soup kitchen that produces 15,000 meals a day.

Parker and Embassy staff toured the facility and learned about the good work of Rabbi Grossman and his staff.

Learn more about Migdal Ohr at www.migdalohr.org. Check out more photos from the visit at our Facebook album.

Vice Consuls Speak to Fulbright Participants

Several Vice Consuls spoke to Israeli Fulbright program participants and answered questions about student visas on June 17, 2010.

This flagship international exchange sponsored by the U.S. government is designed to increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and other countries. Participants are chosen for their academic merit and leader-ship potential.

For more information about applying for a Fulbright scholarship, visit the Fulbright program website at http://fulbright.state.gov.

Reminder: Visa Applications Must Contain Valid Photograph

Example of an invalid photo

When completing the DS-160 visa application (with or without assistance from a third party), applicants must upload a valid photograph of themselves.

The Consular Section has recently seen many DS-160s containing photos of celebri-ties such as George Clooney and Brad Pitt, instead of the applicant.

The Consular Section reminds applicants that clicking the "submit" button creates your electronic signature, certifying that all information contained in the application is true and correct, including the photo.

Learn more about DS-160 photo requirements at: http://travel.state.gov/visa/visaphotoreq/visaphotoreq_5334.html.