Introduction

You have been registered with the United States Embassy in Tel Aviv to apply for a visa to immigrate to the United States.  You must now obtain the documents required for your application for an immigrant visa.  These documents will be required at the time of your visa interview.

In this information

These instructions cover the following topics:

Topic

See Page

Documents You Need to Obtain

2

·        Document requirements

2

·        Birth certificates

2

·        Unobtainable birth certificates

2

·        Police certificates

3

·        Passports

4

·        Deportation

4

·        Court and prison records

4

·        Military records

5

·        Marriage certificates

5

·        Termination of prior marriages

5

·        Translations

5

·        Affidavit of support

5

·        Photocopies of Documents

6

Children Who are About to Turn 21 Years of Age

6

·        Important Information

6

·        Whom to notify

6

·        Failure to notify

6

What Happens Next?

7

·        Appointment letter and medical exam

7

·        Bringing your documents

7

Contacting the U.S. Embassy in Tel Aviv

7

·        When to call or write

7

·        Contact information for the U.S. Embassy

7

Document requirements

Please obtain the original documents or certified copies from an appropriate authority (the issuing entity) for yourself and each family member who will accompany you to the United States.  All documents that pertain to your petition are required, even if they were previously submitted to the United States Embassy in Tel Aviv with your petition.  You must submit them at the time of your immigrant visa interview.

Birth certificates

Obtain the original, or certified copy, of the birth record of each family member applying for immigration.

The certificate must contain the:

·  Person’s date of birth,

·  Person’s place of birth,

·  Names of both parents, and

·  Annotation by the appropriate authority indicating that it is an extract from the official records.

Unobtainable birth certificates

Your birth record may not be obtainable.  Some reasons are listed below.

·  Your birth was never officially recorded.

·  Your birth records have been destroyed.

·  The appropriate government authority will not issue one.

Please obtain a certified statement from the appropriate government authority stating the reason your birth record is not available.  With the certified statement you must obtain secondary evidence.  For example:

·   A birth extract from the Israeli Ministry of the Interior that shows the name at birth,

·   A baptismal certificate that contains the date and place of birth and both parent’s names, providing the baptism took place shortly after birth,

·  An adoption decree for an adopted child, or

·   An affidavit from a close relative, preferably the applicant’s mother, stating the date and place of birth, both parent’s names, and the mother’s maiden name.

Note:  An affidavit must be executed before an official authorized to take oaths or affirmations.  Information regarding the procedures for obtaining birth certificates is usually available from the U.S. Embassy in Tel Aviv.

Police certificates

Police certificates are required for each visa applicant age 16 years or older.  The table below shows how many police certificates are required based on where each applicant lives and has lived previously.  Present and former residents of the United States should NOT obtain any police certificates covering their residence in the U.S.

IF the applicant…

AND…

THEN the applicant needs a police certificate from…

is living in their country of nationality at their current residence for more than 6 months

is 16 years old or older

the police authorities of that locality. 

lived in a different part of their country of nationality for more than 6 months

was 16 years or older at that time

the police authorities of that locality.

lived in a different country for more than 12 months

was 16 years or older at that time

the police authorities of that locality. 

was arrested for any reason, regardless of how long they lived there

was any age at that time

the police authorities of that locality.

The police certificate must:

·  Cover the entire period of the applicant’s residence in that area, and

·  State what the appropriate police authorities’ records show concerning each applicant, including all arrests, the reason for the arrest(s), and the disposition of each case of which there is a record.

Note:  The Israeli National Police (INP) issues a single police certificate covering the entire country.  The INP requires 3 photos for each police certificate being requested.

Note:  The Israeli police must send the police certificate directly to the United States Embassy in Tel Aviv. 

Note: You may apply for the police certificate of a country other than Israel through that country’s embassy or consulate in Israel.  Police certificates from certain countries are unavailable.  More specific information is available online at http://travel.state.gov/visa/reciprocity/index.htm, or from the U.S. Embassy in Tel Aviv. See “Contacting the U.S. Embassy” on page 7.

Note: For applicants from the West Bank or Gaza:

·   All Palestinian residents of the West Bank and Gaza who were age 16 or older at the time of the Israeli redeployment from their area of residence must submit police certificates from both Israel and the Palestinian Authority.  Those who reside in areas still under Israeli jurisdiction must submit police certificates from Israel.

·   Palestinians who have lived in the West Bank or Gaza any time since January 1994 should obtain a Certificate of Good Conduct issued by the Palestinian Ministry of the Interior.  Applications must be submitted to the Palestinian Ministry of the Interior office located nearest the applicant's place of residence, and must be accompanied by four color photos.  There is a charge for this certificate.

·   Former residents of the West Bank and Gaza who have been living abroad for less than six months can obtain a Certificate of Good Conduct by providing a Power of Attorney to an agent in the West Bank or Gaza.  The Power of Attorney should be executed before a Palestinian Authority representative.  Applicants in countries without such representation are advised to have their signature notarized or the document authenticated at an Arab diplomatic mission.  The certificate should be considered unobtainable for those who have been abroad for six months or more.

Passports

A passport must be valid for travel to the United States and must have at least eight months validity beyond the issuance date of the visa.  Children may be included on a parent’s passport, but if over the age of 16, they must have their photographs included in the passport.

Deportation

Applicants who have previously been deported or removed at government expense from the United States must obtain Form I-212, Permission to Reapply after Deportation.  This form is available online at www.uscis.gov/graphics/formsfee/forms or from the United States Embassy in Tel Aviv.  Carefully follow the instructions included on that form.

Court and prison records

Persons who have a criminal record must obtain a certified copy of each court record and any prison record, regardless of the fact that he or she may have subsequently benefited from an amnesty, pardon or other act of clemency.

Court records should include:

·   Complete information regarding the circumstance surrounding the crime of which the applicant was convicted,

·   The disposition of the case, including sentence or other penalty or fine imposed, and

·   Notarized translations of all records.  The translations must be notarized in Israel or the United States.

Military records

Persons who have served in the military forces of any country must obtain one original or certified copy of their military record. 

Note:  Military records from certain countries are unavailable.  In those situations, applicants must provide an official statement why this document is unavailable.

Marriage certificates

Married applicants must obtain an original marriage certificate, or a certified copy, bearing the appropriate seal or stamp of the issuing authority. 

Termination of prior marriages

Applicants who have been previously married must obtain evidence of the termination of EACH prior marriage. Evidence must be in the form of original documents issued by a competent authority, or certified copies bearing the appropriate seal or stamp of the issuing authority.

Acceptable evidence is a:

·  FINAL divorce decree,

·  Death certificate, or

·  Annulment decree.

Note: All child custody issues, if any, must be properly addressed in the divorce decree.

Translations

All documents not in Hebrew or in English must be accompanied by notarized English translations.  The notarization must be done in Israel or in the United States.

The translation must include a statement signed by the translator that states that:

·  The translation is accurate, and

·  The translator is competent to translate.

Affidavit of support

If you are applying for immigration to the United States based on a family connection, the individual who filed the immigrant visa petition on your behalf will be required to submit an Affidavit of Support (I-864) for you. 

The I-864 form and information about completing it can be found online at: http://travel.state.gov/visa/immigrants/info/info_1335.html

Photocopies of Documents

In addition to the original or certified copies of all official documents required, a photocopy of each original must be submitted for all documents issued by a government.  The Embassy will certify the copies at the interview and return the originals to you.  The types of documents that need photocopies include:

·        Military records,

·        Birth Certificates,

·        Marriage/Death Certificates, and

·        Court/Prison Records.

Important information

If you have children who intend to immigrate with you to the United States, or to join you in the United States at a later date, please read this important information. 

In order to immigrate with you to the United States, or to follow you at a later date, your children must be:

·        Unmarried,

·        Eligible to be listed under your visa classification, and

·        Under the age of 21.

Note: A separate immigrant visa petition must be filed for each immediate relative (spouse, child, or parent of a United States citizen).

Whom to notify

If any of your children will turn 21 within 60 days, please notify the United States Embassy in Tel Aviv immediately.

Failure to notify

Failure to notify the United States Embassy that you have a child who will turn 21 could result in that child being above the legal age at the time your visa is issued.  In that event, you will be required to file a separate petition for your child after you immigrate, and your son or daughter will face a waiting period before he or she will be eligible for visa processing.

Appointment letter and medical exam

Approximately one month before your scheduled interview appointment with a consular officer, you will receive an appointment letter containing the date and time of your visa interview along with instructions for obtaining a medical examination.

Bringing your documents

You will need to bring all your original documents, certified copies, and notarized translations (as required) at the time of the visa interview.

When to call or write

The United States Embassy in Tel Aviv cannot guarantee how long it may be before you are scheduled for a visa interview.  Please notify the United States Embassy in Tel Aviv if the circumstances of your application have changed.  For example:

·  Change of address,

·  Change of marital status,

·  Death of petitioner, or

·  Birth or adoption of additional children.

Contact information for the U.S. Embassy

You can contact the Immigrant Visa Unit at the U.S. Embassy with questions or additional information by:

·  Mail at:              71 Hayarkon Street

Tel Aviv, Israel 63903

·  Phone at:           03-519-7601 (Monday thru Friday 2-3 pm)

·  Email at:           IVTelAviv@state.gov

Note:  The U.S. Embassy is closed on both Israeli and American holidays.