Chaim V’Chessed reported yesterday on the predicament of many students who found themselves trapped abroad at the onset of the new Corona restrictions. We delineated the political, legal and media efforts which were underway to alleviate this situation.
We are pleased to announce that the authorities have now updated the policies, and these students will be issued entry permits to return to Israel. This morning, the Interior Ministry published new rules. These rules state that students (with valid student visas) will be issued permits to return, if they have been out of Israel for not more than 30 days. (Please note that the English version of the Interior Ministry rules has not yet been updated.)
Permits have already been sent to numerous students who have been stuck abroad since the onset of this difficulty. Furthermore, many students had refrained from travel out of Israel for family simchas, deaths or other reasons, fearing that they would be locked out of the country. These students can now expect to receive entry permits to return to Israel. Bear in mind that our November travel advisory still stands; non-essential travel should be reconsidered.
Furthermore, for the past two weeks, permits have not been issued to grandparents wishing to enter Israel for a grandchild’s birth. The new rules indicate that in the coming days, permits for births will once again be issued to grandparents. We will advise when it is possible to once again submit applications.