blakezero

Update: We are back to the US! It was a stressful situation while waiting for the passport with the visa. The online status was changing from "Refused" to "AP" back and forth. We extended hotel/Airbnb and flight reservations constantly as there was no response to our emails from the Jerusalem embassy with a clear date for the visa. Our experience felt like a nightmare... something that I want to forget. On 6/13 at 12 PM, I emailed to the Jerusalem Embassy on behalf of my mother-in-law (I'm not even the petitioner) asking to return her passport with or without the visa as our situation in Jerusalem was critically challenging for us to stay. We wanted to go back to our respective homes, my mother-in-law wanted to go back to Russia and I wanted to go back Home with my wife and daughters. We do understand the consequences of pulling the passport without visa even if they said the case was approved, that was our wish. So please have the passport ready for us at the embassy. Right after sending the email, we took a taxi and headed to the embassy without any expectations or hopes. We just were exhausted of waiting and looking at the computer for any updates. At the embassy, looks like they read the email and knew about us. The guy at the window told us to wait for one hour to get us the passport but it was not guarantee. So we waited......... They called my mother-in-law to go inside, I couldn't enter. After 30 minutes... there she was with the passport on her hands... I was so relieved and to our surprise, the visa stamp as well. We cried of happiness and sadness as we sacrificed a lot. As soon as I arrived to our airbnb, I bought tickets to go back to the US for the next day. We left Israel on June 14th 11:00 am and arrived to our home on June 15th 6:00 AM. Passport control was extremely fast since now everything is electronic and no need of seal documents. They allowed my mother-in-law to be with me on the US citizens line which is faster than the foreign visitors. We received the SSN card in two weeks and recently the biometrics appointment letter for the green card which is next week. So we made it... We spent around 10K+ in expenses while in Israel including flight and hotels and stayed 17 days. It could have been more days if the mail the passport to the post office, the post office in jerusalem is closed fridays to sundays. After all, we are eternally grateful to the Jerusalem Embassy for their consideration is accepting our case from Warsaw and for expediting the issuance of the visa on the same day. I was able to made back home before Fathers' day and see my little daughters. Thank You. I hope the families I met outside the embassy got their visas approved.

Hi @StevenInAtlanta, Thanks for sharing your experience. Yep, It looks like that's our case too. We have decided to go to the embassy tomorrow and try to get the passport back. I want to made it home before Father's day and be with my little daughters. Unfortunately, grandma will not be with us this time. We will continue the case in another time. What I don't understand is if they know we transferred the case and we are not Israel nationals with not a permanent residence in the country, why are they taking the passports knowing the case will take long time in "Administrative Processing" ??? it does not make any sense.....

Hi @To_the_moon, How long it took to get the passport back from the embassy? We transferred our IR5 case from Warsaw to Jerusalem. The interview was on May 30th, they asked all documents and took my mother-in-law's passport. They did not say of any missing document. The status on ceac says "Administrative Processing". We're still in Jerusalem waiting for the passport to be returned. We keep extending our hotel reservations and flights. This is costing us a fortune. I also got severely sick and I could see a doctor because I don't have Israelii medical insurance. I found a private doctor who prescribe me antibiotics, without them, I know know what would have be of me in a different country. My mother-in-law is also getting sick and her blood pressure medication is almost gone. We are suffering here trying to get answers from the US embassy in Jerusalem but not luck. We have requested to release the documents so we can go back to our respective homes but no answer so far. We felt it is was a mistake to transfer the case here, from what I hear Warsaw if giving the passports back within 3 days. Thanks,

Hi @Karjala, Does that mean that your husband is in Jerusalem since April 25th? did he come from Russia to Jerusalem or he lives in Jerusalem? My mother-in-law and I are still here waiting for her passport to be returner either with visa or without it. We keep extending our hotel accommodations. The embassy does not reply our emails with a date on when the passport will be returned. I got severely sick in Jerusalem and I had to seek medical attention, Doctor prescribed me antibiotics. My mother-in-law is also getting sick now and her blood pressure medication is almost gone. We feel like we are in the limbo. we do not know the system here in Israel. Thanks,

Hi @Karjala, We transferred our case from Warsaw to Jerusalem. My mother-in-law already had her interview on May 30th and asked all missing documents they requested. They did not tell her of any missing documents and took her passport. We're still here in Jerusalem waiting for the passport to be returned. We checked the status online it was "Refused" and not it says "Administrative Processing". That is our current status. Did the visa officer took your husband's passport they day of the interview? What is the status your case online?

Update: We transferred our case to Jerusalem since Russians do not need visa to enter Israel plus they also speak Russian. At the time of writing this post, we are in Jerusalem and her interview was today and approved. However, we have to wait for the passport which may take up to 2 weeks. We did not expected to be this long and now we have to over stay in Jerusalem which is gonna cost us a fortune, lol.... if someone processed an Immigrant visa for a relative in Jerusalem, how long you waited to get the passport with the visa? Thanks.