Next step is to get a visa. Which can again only be done at an Israeli Consulate, i.e. in Los Angeles. However, when we did our JAFI interview in LA this past summer, they were very nice and said that they would work with us to do it all through the mail.
So… We need to fill out a bunch more forms, then send them, along with OUR ACTUAL, REAL, US PASSPORTS to LA, whereby they will issue the immigrant visas and mail everything back to us. However, four of the six of us need to renew our passports before we leave (will become due soon after we leave). So we can’t send the current passports to get the visas, then renew them and show up at Israeli immigration with new passports that don’t match the ones associated with our travel visas.
Therefore, we’re now rushing to renew our passports so we can get the visas. And we need the visas to be able to book an Aliyah flight – which we’d like to do soon so the seats don’t fill up. Especially the “pet” seats 😐, of which there are apparently only two per flight….