Published March 15, 2023 11:22 PM IST
As reported by Chaim V’Chessed, earlier this week the US Embassy in Israel rolled out troubling new rules regarding issuance of emergency passports for babies born to US citizens. These rules greatly affect the ability of American families residing in Israel to travel to the USA for Pesach.
Appointments for Consular Reports of Birth Abroad and first-time passports for newborns in Israel are scarce and hard to come by. The average wait time for appointments is now a disturbing four to five months. Until this week, families with documented immediate travel plans were offered the possibility of obtaining temporary, emergency passports for newborns. However, this option was abruptly canceled on March 13, leaving no avenue for these families to return to the USA for Pesach.
Chaim V’Chessed has been working intensely for an immediate resolution to this issue. These efforts include contact with elected officials from both Houses of Congress and across the political spectrum. Numerous community organizations in Israel and the US are participating in this effort. Significantly, on Wednesday, Agudath Israel of America leaders presented Senator Charles Schumer (D-NY) with a letter requesting his intervention in this matter. Senator Schumer publicly declared that he will work towards a solution.
Additionally, Chaim V’Chessed is working extensively on this matter with Amudim, led by Rabbi Zvi Gluck. Together, the organizations have jointly launched a webpage to gather information from families living in Israel affected by this situation.
If you are an American citizen who has been prevented from receiving travel documents for travel to the US, please submit your information on this page. This will allow Amudim and Chaim V’Chessed to present actual data to the relevant agencies, in the hopes that a solution can be found quickly. All information will be kept confidential.