Last News on the VISA from Matan

 Dear Students and Faculty,

I would like to apologize for the inordinate time it may have taken me to get back to you.

Over the past months, issues relating to visas and insurance became extremely complicated due to a combination of factors, including the prolonged strike at the Israeli foreign ministry that limited the availability of consulates around the world, as well as the toll Covid continues to take on administrative efficiency in all offices we work with.

Our most important priority is to support you as members of our community.

In order to be able to address each request that came in, and to make sure none are left unattended, I would ask you to please do the following:

1) For both visa and insurance queries, please read carefully the updates included at the bottom of this email and follow up on the instructions relevant to your case.

2) In case you cannot find an answer below, or you need help with a more specific issue, please email me again (visains@tauex.tau.ac.il), and I will get back to you within the next few days.

I would like to apologize once again and assure you that we will do our utmost to support you with any issue related to your visa and insurance.

 

Best regards,

Matan

 ____________

Visa Updates

 

1.       Visa Extension in Israel

 As many of you already know, all visas that were valid in March 2022 were automatically extended for 6 months, without exceptions.

The extensions were updated in the Ministry of Interior systems, and it is not necessary to have them stamped on your passport while you are in Israel.

Once your visa is about to expire, you will have to apply for a visa extension according to the following process:

 - All TAU students and scholars who wish to set an appointment, must notify us using our Online Form -->https://bit.ly/3JhxSn8.

The Ministry of Interior will no longer accept requests for appointments by email.

Please do your best to apply through the form as early as possible- ideally at least one month before the expiry date.

If you have already filled this form, please do not fill it out again, we are constantly working to reach out to everyone as soon as we can.

Traveling abroad with an extended visa

 - If your visa was automatically extended, and you are planning to go abroad and come back before it expires, you will need to get an official proof of the extension on your passport, this proof is called “re-entry permit”.

In order to obtain a re-entry permit, you need to visit the ministry office at 53 Salame st.--> https://goo.gl/maps/xn6ACNbEM3Vr88159.

There is no need to schedule an appointment in advance, you may visit on any working day, except for Wednesdays, between 8am and 9am – We highly recommend that you arrive a little bit earlier, to make sure that you will get in on time.

Be sure to tell the guard that you came for a re-entry permit, not for a visa extension, otherwise they won’t let you in. 

--> in this case, you can also use one of the formal letters from TAU to be let in the building Letter for visa extension

- Whether you are visiting the ministry for a visa extension or only for getting the re-entry permit*, please don’t forget to bring all relevant documents with you.

* for the re-entry permit, you needn't all of the paperwork, just the Ministry form and the passport pictures. For the whole visa procedure, remember the following Papers

Once you have filled the Visa Requests form, we will draft a letter for you, bearing your details and a request for extension.

Please make sure to take the letter and your passport with you to the visit at the ministry.

- If you got an appointment set by us and you are unable to attend, please notify us AT LEAST 48 hours in advance.

By not showing up to an appointment without an early notice, you are preventing other students from getting their visa.

We are working hard to secure these appointments and only have a limited number of appointments per week.

 

2.       Visa Applications from Abroad

At the moment, some Israeli consulates and embassies around the world are not accepting visa application, due to a strike at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. This has been going on for several weeks now, and we involved the highest authorities possible with your best interest in mind. If you have applied for a visa recently and your application was denied or ignored, it is most probably a result of this strike.

Please note that there are several consulates still accepting visa applications. We do not know which consulates are currently active and which ones are striking, but we encourage you to contact your nearest consulate to find out. You can find all updated contact details of all Israeli consulates here->https://www.gov.il/en/Departments/dynamiccollectors/israeli-consular-services?skip=0 <https://www.gov.il/en/Departments/dynamiccollectors/israeli-consular-services?skip=0> .

We understand that this state of uncertainty is far from ideal, and we are looking for other solutions that will help our students and scholars arrive on time.

If you are joining one of our Summer Programs, please consult with your program coordinator about your arrival.

 

3.       Work Permits

Over the upcoming weeks, all work permits will be handled by Mr. Avi Zarakhovsky: aviz@tauex.tau.ac.il 

Please be sure to refer any related questions and issues to him, until further notice.

Reminder regarding the types of work permits:

A2 visa with “Permission to work” remark – This allows students who study towards a Master’s degree or above, to work only on a part-time basis (X hours per week), as a teaching assistant within the university, and in relation to the topic of studies.  The application process should be initiated at least 1 month before the beginning of the employment. It involves switching a regular student visa- which does not allow to work, with a new one with the permission to work remark.

B1 visa- This is a work visa, which allows to work as a lecturer or a researcher (also as a research assistant). This visa allows the employment on a full-time or a part time basis, with a monthly salary. The application process should be initiated at least 3 months before the beginning of the employment.  It involves an initial approval from TAU and the Ministry of interior.

Health Insurance Information

Each student and researcher needs to have valid health insurance while in Israel.

General Information regarding the insurance can be found here->https://international.tau.ac.il/health_insurance/?tab=0; 

Information regarding the coverage can be found here->https://international.tau.ac.il/health_insurance/?tab=1.

 

While some TAU International programs have health insurance included in the tuition payment, please note that this is not the case for all programs. If you’re not sure, please make sure to check on the “Fees and Expenses” page (https://international.tau.ac.il/fees_and_expenses), or check with your program coordinator if your tuition includes insurance or not.

Note that research students (i.e. MSc/ PhD/ Postdoctoral fellows) and visiting researchers are not covered by health insurance by TAU, and are encouraged to independently purchase health insurance. Please also note that a valid medical insurance is a mandatory part of receiving a student visa.

For more information click here->https://international.tau.ac.il/health_insurance/?tab=2.

Note that any of you who are insured with Menora until the end of July will get an automatic extension.

 

Warm regards,

Mr. Matan Shahak

Visa & Insurance Coordinator

Tel Aviv University International

p: +972(0)3-640-5746

a: Carter Building, Room 108, Tel Aviv, Israel 6997801

w: international.tau.ac.il/health_insurance

e:  visains@tauex.tau.ac.il <mailto:visains@tauex.tau.ac.il>