How Repatriation to Israel Works: Nativ, the Consular Check and the Timeline

The procedure is not long on paper, but each stage has its own trap. Below are the steps as described by the Jewish Agency and on the BRIDGES programme page, with my comments.

Step 1: the family review

First I go through every branch of the family. The right often turns up where nobody looked: through a spouse, a parent or a line the family never talked about. The result is a kinship diagram and a list of what has to be proved.

Step 2: the archive search

Missing links are requested from archives and registry offices. This is the longest stage, and an archive can answer in months.

Step 3: documents and legalisation

The set for each family member is assembled, spelling differences are cleared, and apostilles and translations are arranged. The list is in the documents guide.

Step 4: who runs the check

For people from the former USSR countries the check is done by Nativ, a service under the Prime Minister’s Office. You can only book and pass it in your country of residence, and the booking rules differ by country. Elsewhere the Jewish Agency runs the file abroad. According to its site, you fill in an online questionnaire, an account manager contacts you within two business days, opens a file in the Aliyah Journey Portal, and the documents are uploaded there.

Step 5: the interview

The interview is held in person. The officer looks at the originals, asks about the family history and compares the answers with the documents. Separately, the grounds for refusal in Article 2(b) of the Law of Return are checked. The Jewish Agency says that its eligibility department may ask for more documents, and that approval comes by e-mail.

Step 6: the immigrant visa and the flight

With a positive decision an immigrant visa is placed in the passport. By settled practice, according to BRIDGES, it is valid for about six months. Then come the flight and the registration on arrival.

Applying from inside Israel

The Jewish Agency writes that you can also make aliyah from inside Israel, applying directly to the Population and Immigration Authority. The documents and the benefits are the same.

How long it takes

No statutory period exists. The Jewish Agency says the process usually takes 3 to 6 months from opening a file to the flight, depending mostly on the documents. In my experience the archive search before the file is opened can take longer than that. BRIDGES also notes that the queue for the check differs by country and cannot be sped up.