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Introduction of the Blog and WA group guidelines

  Welcome to the first TAU international Volunteers-managed blog! This blog has been created to give complementary information to the graduated students of TAU and to create a community where we can share thoughts and information. This blog is not affiliated to any of the TAU services or bureaucratic apparatus and it is meant to be an informal tool where people can be updated, alongside the Whatsapp group and the informal word-of-mouth. Each student or post-doc is more than welcome to approach and participate in the creation of this blog, acting as a volunteer (with a little basic commitment) but also as an user, where they can collect any sort of information. All of the content posted on this blog is under the responsibility of the person who wrote it and posted it. UPDATE 06.11.23  Guidelines for the WhatsApp group  1.Respect & Kindness: Treat all members with respect and kindness. Be mindful of your tone and language.  2. Stay On Topic: Keep discussions releva...
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On VISA renewal and delays from the Ministry of Interior

The 2023 started slowly for the VISA renewal process. In fact, now that the national strike that hampered the normal activities of the Immigration offices is over, any expiring visa needs to be renewed ASAP. Unfortunately, there are huge delays in the process and the waiting times are lengthy and uncertain.

If you are aware of the expiration date of your visa, the very first thing to do is to fill the TAU international (Visa office) form, which is MANDATORY to request an appointment to the Ministry of Interior for the bureaucracy of the renewal.

Here --> https://forms.monday.com/forms/6066d621e0591bb9e2007473c1807ece?r=use1

Also, according to the last information we got, there are some new rules:

  1. The process can take several weeks up to 2 months, so it is suggested to start preparing the papers and reserve a place in the waiting list 2-3 months ahead.
  2. The people whose Visas status is pending are considered by law "not regular", but the de facto situation tolerates them, meaning that nobody will chase after them, and in case of trouble, TAU international office is ready to assist anyone as a International Student of TAU. 
  3. Students should not go to the Ministry without an appointment, as they will not be accepted there without it, even if they are the first of the line waiting from 6 in the morning. This means that once you got an official appointment, you need to show the entrance guard the acceptance email! Also, don't waste your time going into another office of the Ministry of the Interior, the chances that they will let you in are quasi zero.
  4. For the people terminally leaving Israel, there is no need to take action. You should be able to leave the country even if your visa is expired.
  5. For the people who want to leave and return to Israel, but their visa is expiring/expired, it is strongly NOT recommended to leave the country. Exceptional cases will be evaluated and possibly (no guarantee) there might be an arrangement for a last-minute-urgent appointment.
  6. Having an expired visa means also that you can't travel to Jordan or to Sinai (and come back), regardless if you travel alone or you join a guided tour.
  7. For the people in need to return to Israel after the expiration of the visa is NO longer possible to shift from the Tourist Visa to the Student Visa once you are in Israel. The visa must be obtained from the Israeli embassy in your own country. Anyway, since the things are fluid and can change any moment, the best thing to do is to write an Email to Tamar Grushka-Shtern, from the Visa Office intl@tauex.tau.ac.il  or to Zoe, our Student Liason tauresearch@tauex.tau.ac.il 
  8. For the people applying for a conference abroad, we got to know that, for example, to go to the US, there is no need for a valid Israeli Visa, but rather to be in time for an appointment to the embassy, which could take months as well!
What to do? Here I present some suggestions:

-->For any necessities to leave the state (from conferences to trips abroad) plan 6 months ahead your itinerary in order to make sure that your visa status will be active once you return back. For example, in order to go on vacation or a conference, book it at maximum one month before the visa expires. 
--> Emailing the people from TAU international office I mentioned above is always a good choice, but sometimes it is a matter of waiting patiently. These people are doing their job and the delay in the procedure is not their fault. Also going there several times is not a good strategy if you have already clarified your situation.
--> In any "emergency" case, contact the Visa office ASAP!
--> Your PI participation in obtaining the appointment at the Ministry of the Interior doesn't help.
--> Please, mind the other people: there are many students waiting for their turn, each one with valid reasons to renew the visa. Lying about the urgency of the renewal is not fair!
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