One of the most popular requests is the repatriation with children-great-grandchildren of a Jew (4th generation). We tried to collect general answers to the most frequently asked questions in this text.
The whole family received visas for repatriation at the consulate, the children were also given visas, is this already A5?
No. This is an entry visa that allows you to come to Israel for repatriation with your family. It is not A5, but the right to apply for A5 (aleph hamish, residence permit). To open a case (yes, it’s not a joke), you need to contact the Ministry of Interior office at your place of residence, which will be indicated in your sefach (insert in the parents’ identity card).
How can I register in the Ministry of Internal Affairs to open a case, in the app “go visit”?
No. You need an appointment in the visa department. You can only get there in one way – go to the Ministry of Interior and ask them to schedule you for opening a case in the visa department.
What does the process look like next? When does a child become a citizen?
After the interview in the visa department of the Ministry of Interior, an A5 visa will be pasted into the current passport, which gives the child the right to live in Israel. It is also necessary to arrange an entry visa for short tourist trips if you plan them. Leaving without such a visa means losing the status. The process until obtaining citizenship usually lasts 3-4 years. Every year you need to go through an interview in the Ministry of Interior to extend the status for another year, and so on until applying for citizenship.
How long can I be absent from Israel so as not to interrupt the process and not lose my status?
No more than 2 months in total per year. Note that this rule applies to both the child and his parents. For example, a father who works abroad and is often absent not only jeopardizes the possibility of obtaining citizenship for his child but even the status of a citizen spouse if the repatriation was through his line.
We are coming with whole a family now, we want to arrange everything as soon as possible, but we are not ready to move yet. But when the child finishes the school year / school / institute, etc., then we will move. Won’t we be able to open a business then and get citizenship as a result?
❗️ The most important thing to know is that the right to open a case can only be used once. If the child left the Country and was absent for more than 4 months during the year, or one of his parents violated similar residency requirements in Israel, he loses the opportunity to resume the process in the Ministry of Interior. This is the official position of the ministry. Your arguments, grounds, and valid reasons do not interest the officials. Before you plan your return – relocation for permanent residence, you need to get a consultation from an immigration lawyer (you know who to contact), because it is necessary to assess the prospects of the future court process in advance. Without a court – nowhere further.
If a good acquaintance, a guy from the chat, or ‘grandma on the bench’ have a different experience, it does not cancel the operation of the ministry’s instructions and does not guarantee the absence of problems for the lucky ones at the next stage of the process.