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Student Visas

Student Manuals » Long-Term Student Manual » Travel and Packing » Student Visas

Obtaining Student Visas

 

It is required that all students who will be attending JUC for one semester or more acquire an A-2 student visa prior to arriving in Israel. Married students also must acquire an A-4 visa for each dependent (spouse and children) who will be in Israel with them.

Our staff in Jerusalem will assist you in the process of securing a visa and provide you with details as needed. The visa process has two steps.

Visa Process:

First, our staff must make the initial application for your student visa at the Ministry of Interior in Jerusalem. Please do not attempt to initiate a visa application with any of the Israeli Consulates/Embassies on your own because it will interfere with our application process in Jerusalem. In order to allow JUC to make this initial visa application on your behalf, you must supply the following documents and information as part of your application for admission into Jerusalem University College:

  • A clear and legible copy of the identification page of your current passport, as well as the passports of any dependents accompanying you.
  • For Graduate Certificate and M.A. students, passports should be valid for at least six months after your full period of study at JUC. Our past experience indicates to us that Graduate Certificate students should have passports that are valid for 2 years and 6 months beyond the date they will begin studies at JUC, and M.A. students should have passports that are valid for 3 years and 6 months beyond the date they will begin studies at JUC.
  • A biometric photo
  • The name of the city and state, or country, of your official permanent residence, and also of the location where you will be for the three months prior to your anticipated arrival in Israel, if different. You must obtain your visa at the Israeli Consulate or Embassy that serves this location.
  • Proof of health insurance while studying in Israel.
  • Your father and mother’s full names.
  • Your maiden name (if applicable).
  • The dates of any previous stays in Israel.
  • If you have been in Israel before, was your stay ever canceled? If so, why?
  • What are your means of support during your stay in Israel? Please note that it is not legal for you to work for pay in Israel while holding a student visa (A-2) or a visa for dependents (A-4).

When this initial visa application on your behalf has been approved by the Ministry of Interior in Jerusalem, the Ministry will inform the Israeli Embassy or Consulate that is responsible for the location of your official home residence. You will receive your student visa sticker in your passport directly from that Israeli Consulate or Embassy, so it is essential that we have the correct address for you. JUC will inform you when this happens and provide you with official paperwork from the Ministry of Interior.

Once you receive this paperwork, you must contact the same Israeli Consulate or Embassy to which the Ministry of Interior sent their approval and arrange for your visa to be affixed to your passport according to their particular rules and regulations. You will either need to visit the Consulate or Embassy in person or mail in your passport with supporting documents to receive your visa sticker. In your correspondence with them, you should refer to JUC by its Israeli name, the American Institute of Holy Land Studies. JUC will send further information to guide you through this process.

Visa Timeline:

  • Please ensure your passport is valid for at least 6 months after the anticipated completion date of your program.
  • Visa applicants cannot be in Israel at any time during the visa process or the application will stall or be rejected. Please do not plan to be in Israel during the 4 months prior to your semester start date.
  • The final step in your visa process will require you to be at your home location in order to submit your passport to the Israeli Consulate or Embassy in your area. Students must be residing at their home address 4 weeks prior to the semester start date.
  • The details of this procedure will vary for each Consulate or Embassy. Please check the website of your Consulate or Embassy or contact them directly.