So, have you gone to www.nbn.org.il yet? :)
Here is a quick list of documents that you will need to submit. The easiest way to accomplish this is to scan and email your documents. Or you can send COPIES only (never the originals) to the mailing address of NBN on their website. When you have your face to face interview with the Shaliach from the Jewish Agency, you will then produce all of your original documents to him/her during this meeting.
Marital Status Certificate--be it a civil marriage license or a divorce decree. If your spouse has died, you need to submit their death certificate. You might have to get an apostille attached to your paperwork. (I will review this process in my next post). They will let you know if your document needs one. I have heard that Israel has asked some people for a "certificate of singleness". I have never heard of such a document in the United States. I'll cross that bridge if and when I get there.
Copy of Passport--Photo page with signature. Also include any extra notations on pages, e.g. name change or replacement passport. I believe these are always found on the last page of your American passport. Also, it must be valid for 6 months or more from your anticipated Aliyah date.
Birth Certificate--Depending on when you were born, you may have to get an apostille for this document too. They will let you know after receiving the copy. I believe the rule is if it is before 1988 (?) you do NOT need an apostille on anything. If I am wrong about the year, please correct me. Or maybe 1988 only pertains to birth certificates and not other documents. I will try and find out for sure.
Proof of Judaism--Your Rabbi must write a letter on official Synagogue letterhead stating that you are Jewish and born to a Jewish mother. If you are Jewish through father/grandfather, then the Rabbi must be able to confirm your heritage. If you converted to Judaism, please see next entry. All letters from the Rabbi must be in English or Hebrew. The letterhead must state the name, location and telephone number of the congregation, and include your full legal name (as it is on your passport) and parents'/grandparents' names if Jewish from birth. The letter must also be signed by the Rabbi.
Proof of Judaism thru Conversion--NBN will need a copy of your official Conversion Certificate. It will have the 3 witness signatures from the Beit Din on it. In addition, you will need to submit 2 letters along with it: One from your sponsoring Rabbi with whom you studied, on official Synagogue letterhead, stating your conversion process, dates of study, and involvement in the community before and after conversion, and signed by the Rabbi.
The second letter will be about your decision to convert to Judaism and your involvement in the Jewish community since your conversion. NOTE: If you have converted to Judaism, you must remain in your Jewish community for one year before you can make Aliyah. You can apply during your waiting period, however, the final approval cannot be granted before that one year time period post conversion has passed.
There is a $50 application fee for singles ($100 for a couple or a family). I actually submitted a few documents even before I paid the fee. There is also a $50 per person flight processing fee. This fee is paid in order to have your Aliyah flight ticket issued. I have not paid this fee yet, because I have not had my interview with the Jewish Agency. I guess there is a possibility that they might not think I have what it takes to be successful in Israel for reasons of age, health, employment, etc. I'm guessing here, I do not yet know the questions I will be asked. But they are the final "stamp of approval" in the Aliyah process. So I would imagine that a few are not approved for one reason or another.
Doesn't mean that you cannot make Aliyah if you get a "no" decision. It just means you have to do the whole process on your own. Which would be hard and overwhelming, but still worth the end result.
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