HOLY LAND BOOK - Draft

Other foreign-born spouses and family members who
do not have an American diplomatic passport should
enter Israel following the visa requirements in place
for their country of citizenship. Upon check-in with HR,
we will assist with extending or obtaining a long-term
visa. Foreign-born spouses must bring a copy of their
marriage certificate in order to obtain accreditation
and a MFA ID Card. Foreign-born dependents, other
than spouses, will need to provide a copy of their birth
certificate. The MFA also requires a statement from the
diplomat documenting the relationship between the
diplomat and the foreign-born dependent. Please note
that the MFA has advised that dependents who will not
reside at Post permanently, such as students, will not
be issued a MFA ID Card. Please contact the Tel Aviv HR
Office (TelAvivHRO@state.gov) for more information.
3. Mandatory FACT Training
The State Department has updated the training requirements
for the Foreign Affairs Counter-Threat (FACT) and
High Threat Security Overseas Seminar (HTSOS) courses
and,
effective January 1, 2017, FACT is mandatory for all
USDH transferring to Mission Israel. Eligible Family
Members (EFMs) who receive an offer of employment or
expect to work while at Post are also required to complete
FACT. For EFMs who do not plan to work, HTSOS is
required although FACT is strongly encouraged.
Validity: A training completion certificate for those
who have taken FACT or HTSOS is considered valid
for five years. Employees or employed EFMs assigned
to a FACTmandatory post will be required to have a
certificate valid at minimum through the date of arrival
at post for their tour of duty. Employees and employed
EFMs are strongly encouraged to ensure their certificate
is valid through the tour of duty. Employees and
employed EFMs will otherwise be required to complete
FACT during their next official travel to Washington,
DC if their FACT certification expires during the tour of
duty and they have at least 180 days remaining in their
assignment.
The HTSOS (HT401) course can be accessed from the
following internet link: http://fsitraining.state.gov/ or
intranet link: http://reg.fsi.state.gov/dstc/CourseCatalog.
aspx?EventId=HT401.
The FACT (OT611) course can be accessed from the
following internet link: http://fsitraining.state.gov/or
intranet link: http://reg.fsi.state.gov/dstc/CourseCatalog.
aspx?EventId=OT611.
For more details, please see 14 State 83174. Questions
may also be sent to the DSTC Registrar at DSTCRegistrarOffice@state.gov.
3. CLO Pre-Arrival Information and Sponsors The Community
Liaison Office (CLO) will assign a community
sponsor, who will assist you in acclimating to your new
neighborhood and home. Your agency/section head
will assign an office sponsor, who is responsible for
many of the administrative details prior to your arrival.
The CLO will introduce you via email to your sponsors.
Prior to your arrival, the CLO team will send you a welcome
email, which will include a link to a CLO questionnaire
to help tailor subsequent correspondence to your
specific needs. They also will add you and any adult
family members to the distribution list of the Embassy
CLO newsletter. In addition, the Tel Aviv Post video,
available at the Overseas Briefing Center, will give you
a visual tour of the Mission, housing, schools, city, and
country.
The CLO is available to offer guidance and answer any
questions you may have. If you do not hear from the
CLO after your assignment notification, you are encouraged
to contact the CLO directly at CLOTelAviv@state.
gov or by telephone at +972-3-519-7389/7682. The
CLO website, https://clotelaviv.wordpress.com, and
closed Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/
groups/clotelaviv, also contain information for newcomers.
4. Human Resources In-Processing
Your first stop at the EBO (Embassy Branch Office) will
likely be the HR Office. They will arrange with your
office sponsor to meet you on your first workday to
in-process and to apply for your MFA ID card(s). All
employees must bring their completed biographic
information sheet, which will be sent via email prior to
arrival. Please also bring four (4) passport-sized photos
for yourself and your dependents over the age of 10, as
well as all diplomatic passports. Note: For Department
of State employees, you will need your employee ID
number.
5. The Health Unit
The EBO maintains a Health Unit at the Chancery. A
Medical Provider (MP), locally hired Nurse Practitioner
(NP) and RNs, as well as an Administrative Assistant staff
the unit. The unit treats acute illnesses and chronic
medical problems, provides immunizations and preventive
health care, and refers patients to local specialists.
Israel has excellent medical facilities and standards are
generally very high, but the health care system is often
confusing to newcomers. The Health Unit can provide
guidance in navigating the Israeli health care system.
Post recommends that you bring a six month supply of
prescription medications. Most prescription medications
are available locally, but require being seen by
an Israeli physician to get a prescription filled at a local
pharmacy. The MP can write prescriptions for medications
from U.S. mail order pharmacies, for delivery to
your DPO address.
The Holy Land - The Essential Guide to Living in Israel 39