At the end of September, the Americans announced that Israelis were eligible for a visa exemption on a flight to the United States. Dealing with bureaucracy before the move went into effect was supposed to take about six weeks, but shortly after the start of the fighting, well ahead of schedule, the Americans announced that the decision had already gone into effect and Israelis could enter the United States without a visa.
However, about half of Israelis do not hold a biometric passport, which makes it impossible for them to take part in the visa exemption program. In addition, some Israelis receive negative answers after submitting the ESTA form that is supposed to allow entry to the US without a visa, which means that all of them are supposed to go to the US embassy to apply for a visa in order to enter the US.
U.S. Embassy in Tel Aviv,
Now, the U.S. Embassy in Israel is announcing that due to the Iron Sword War and the security situation, tourist visa processing has stopped, which means that those who cannot enter the United States under the visa exemption and want to fly to the United States have difficulty finding a solution. The US Embassy's announcement clarifies that there are exceptional and urgent cases in which it is possible to receive service on the subject, but this is a complex and rigid process that only very few can receive the exceptional service.
As of now, it is unclear when the U.S. Embassy will resume routine operations and process tourist visas for Israeli citizens who are not included in visa waiver eligibility. In order to issue a biometric passport, it is necessary to make an appointment at one of the Population Authority offices, and even after issuance, this is a process that can take more than a month, until the arrival of the new passport. This means that in practice, anyone who does not currently hold a biometric passport and wants to fly to the United States has to go through a process that can take two months or even more to enter the country.
About half of Israelis do not meet the requirements for visa exemption, Photo: AP
A statement from the U.S. Embassy said: "Due to the ongoing security situation, the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem and the Embassy Branch Office in Tel Aviv are not offering immigrant and immigrant visa services at this time. If there is an emergency need to travel to the United States and you do not currently have a nonimmigrant visa, please contact a U.S. embassy or consulate other than Jerusalem or Tel Aviv. Consular sections at U.S. embassies and consulates around the world can help schedule expedited appointments for emergency travel. Please make an appointment and request an expedited appointment in that country. Any applicant who previously held a visa and whose visa expired within the 48 months preceding the date of application may be eligible for an interview exemption for a visa application of the same classification until December 31, 2023."
Wrong? We'll fix it! If you find a mistake in the article, please share with us