According to attorney Liam Schwartz, head of the Labor and Corporate Immigration Department at the Tel Aviv-based law firm of Goldfarb, Seligman, a new policy by the U.S. Immigration Authority aimed at Israelis seeks detailed explanations about military service, potentially to identify involvement in war crimes or other serious offenses.
“The U.S. Immigration Authority’s new policy is extremely worrisome,” Schwartz said. “Its impact on Israelis could be broad, affecting areas such as relocation for work, academic studies, and family reunification.”
This policy extends beyond green card applications. Israelis applying for visas at U.S. embassies outside Israel may also face rigorous questioning. Y Net News discusses the case of Yuval, a senior manager at a high-tech company in Silicon Valley, who recently received a surprising letter from the U.S. Immigration Authority regarding his green card application. The letter requested detailed information about his service in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) from 2005 to 2008, raising concerns about a potential shift in U.S. immigration policy towards Israeli applicants.
The letter demanded an affidavit under oath addressing several specific questions about Yuval’s military service. These included queries about his participation in combat, command roles, guarding detainees, and the use of weapons or explosives. Yuval must provide satisfactory answers within 87 days to avoid deportation.
Yuval expressed shock at the detailed nature of the questions, noting that he had previously provided basic information about his military service when applying for his work visa two years ago. “I feel as if questions were copied from the Office of the Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court in The Hague,” he remarked.
While cooperation with U.S. authorities regarding military service is necessary for visa or green card applications, Schwartz highlighted a conflict with Israeli laws on military confidentiality. He suggested that in some cases, it might be more practical for applicants to consider leaving the U.S.
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Author: Sara Carter Staff
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