Why is it so important to conduct archival research in order to obtain Austrian citizenship?
Michael Decker
Michael Decker
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Michelle Long
Josh has been helping me on and off for a few years now. I have needed legal advice and assistance with immigration due to a complex situation of mine, and he has been extremely available and responsive, honest and clear about my route and how to proceed. Very much recommended!
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The best lawyer firm I’ve had dealt with. I would like to thank Anat Levi and Ariel Galili from the Jerusalem branch for all of their efforts and patience, we could not have been Able to reach to where we are now without them
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Shaltiel Devorah
Mr. Joshua Pex is knowledgeable and Professional. I really appreciate his courteous and direct approach.
Schruuf
We were very pleased and content with the services of this law firm. They supported us 100% and solved our case successfully, we couldn't be happier.
YK C
We had a pleasure of working with Irena Rosenberg who assisted in getting our two U.S. born children registered in Israel and supported visa process for my wife in 2021. During the pandemic, my wife and I decided to move to Israel where I am originally from after living in the U.S. for over 20 years, but we had no idea how to go about securing visas before and after arriving in Israel. Irena is knowledgeable, reliable and competent lawyer who always had answers to all our questions which made us feel confident that everything would be fine with her assistance. We are now happily living in Israel and are so grateful to have Irena who is a genuinely nice person as our lawyer.
Josh W-S
The firm had a quick response to my last-minute needs, they were helpful in communicating with me in English, and they fulfilled my needs in a timely fashion.
Yossi Montrose
Very knowledgeable and professional
Matthias Oppliger
I have been receiving services from this Law Firm for several years now and I want to say THANK YOU to the team, especially Joshua Pex. They are doing outstanding work. The services I have received for both our Israeli non profit association but also our social business have helped us solve many issues at hand and provided solutions in complicated situations. Personally, I am grateful for support in visa issues as a foreigner living now in Israel for many years.
Alexander P Gutterman
EU PASSPORT ! Big news! Thanks to Michael Decker and the other good people at the law office, as well as to the virtue of my ancestors, the cruelty of the Inquisition, reparations issued in the Iberian Peninsula, and etc, I am delighted to be on track for Portuguese and European Union Citizenship! A truly incredible development and one which brings me deep joy.
Paul Prince
The team of lawyers and assistants are incredibly professional. Aiming to give their clients the advice possible regarding the normative and the law of Israel. With well trained and professional secretary at the front desk to the lawyers team, I could say that I had one of the most professional services possible. I'm super glad of choosing Joshua Pex of Law office for immigration solution, lawyers to advise in my case, to me, it is remarkable.
Наталья Мажуга
Great lawyers Joshua Pex and Nechama and Michael Deker who really want to help you and I have very trustful relationships with them. All my cases they took they won. Thank you and let’s keep working together
Tomer Hila Birnbach
I received a recommendation from friends about the firm, and indeed every word is correct, a service team, professional, welcoming, a fair price for the work I requested, I am satisfied
Lilian Granovsky
I can highly recommend these services!
Every time we turned to Joshua we always got a professional quick and helpful respond.
Eden Weiss
Extrmely friendly, professional and helpful. A big thank you to Irina especially from the Jerusalem office. Highly Recommended.
TarcisioePotira Freitas
I really recommend the law office's services. The service is very professional and efficient, the price is right. I am satisfied with the services I needed and happy to have known them.
lynn vonne
Excellent service, very friendly and helpful, fast responding and very patient. Highly recommend. I will choose them again next time if needed.
Joshua Pex was both an amazing human being and an inspiring human rights attorney. I reported directly to him for various activities I performed as in intern. I was impressed with his incredibly solid character. He is trustworthy, fair, and goes above and beyond to advocate for the vulnerable. He is completely trustworthy and high caliber in his work. His partners and employees are very blessed to work with him. I am honored to know them.
Heather Lebrun
Michael and Ariellah Waizman
For Advocate Joshua Pex.
We were in a devastating situation when my wife received an order from the immigration office to leave Israel within 30 days, without any explanation, after we have been married and in the process for six and a half years. We heard of Advocate Pex through a friend of a friend. We contacted Mr. Pex and he was ready to help us when he heard of our situation.
The service is amazing! Always ready to assist without regard to the time it takes. The advice Mr. Pex gave us was great, such as what to do, he gave useful links, and advice about which officials to contact. The price for the service was great!
The process until we received the extension for another year for my wife was not long (3 months). Things started moving once Mr. Pex came into the picture.
We highly recommend Advocate Joshua Pex! We achieved our goal and the fear of deportation has been lifted!
Arielle Bosch
Incredibly knowledgeable, approachable, accessible, and evident across the board that they truly care about the people they are helping. They are quick to respond, engaged, and obviously top-notch lawyers. I couldn't recommend them highly enough. Thank you, Joshua and Itamar for your help with our Joint Life Application. You were a calming energy during a storm - always breathed a sigh of relief after speaking with you. It is so difficult to get straight answers from the Misrad Hapnim, but you guys are straight shooters. I appreciate your candor and evident integrity. Hope to work with you in the future, and will send everyone I know in need of legal aid your way. Thank you for your guidance and support.
Sveta Vashkevich
We (myself and my husband) came to Mr. Joshua Pex – for his professional advice – and we received such human warmth and caring attitude, that our hearts melted …
His attention to our details and our situation peculiarities, combined with his professionalism and knowledge, helped us to map out what needs to be done on our part: we appreciate and recommend You, Mr. Joshua!
Andreas Kelling
We have been working with Decker, Pex & Co - Law Firm in Tel Aviv for many years very well. Because we appreciated their lawyers services, we recommended businesses and individuals again and again to go there as well.
Sophie Cooperman
Oded Ger did an excellent job by reviewing a modeling contract I was offered. Explained the bad clauses in the contract, and their possible consequences. Thank you for your amazing job, your professionalism, your consultation and honesty. You showed me from your experience how it can be done differently. It was the best decision choosing you as my lawyer.
I highly recommend this firm, especially Oded Ger.
Michael Soffer
I would like to recommend Attorney Yehuda Elcharar. He assisted both me and my company in a complex lawsuit. He handled negotiations that led to a favorable outcome much quicker than expected.
I am extremely pleased with choosing Attorney Elcharar. Many thanks also to the office team, Oz and Chaya, for their assistance throughout the entire process.
Thanks again ????
Genaan Abdelall
I cannot recommend Nechama enough! Her expertise, professionalism, and dedication to her clients is unparalleled. From the moment I reached out to her, she provided clear and concise communication, and helped me navigate through a complex legal issue with ease.
Throughout the entire process, Nechama went above and beyond to ensure that I was informed and comfortable with every decision. She demonstrated a deep knowledge of the law, and was able to offer sound advice that ultimately led to a positive outcome.
What sets Nechama apart is her compassionate and empathetic approach to her clients. She truly cares about the well-being of her clients, and it shows in the way she handles every case.
If you are in need of a lawyer, I highly recommend Nechama.
Dongdiet & Nellie
We are very happy with the services. Somehow they managed to translate the law lingo into language we actually understand 😉 and their outstanding YouTube videos helped us to have a better grasp of what process we had to go through. Their patience, clear explanation and experience are very valuable. It's also very nice to know that you will receive response promptly; it made us feel we can really trust their services. We recommend all those looking for immigration lawyers to get in touch.
Stuart Safft
I am delighted to report that my wife and I have just obtained our Israeli citizenship. We will be forever grateful for all of the help, guidance and support which Ariel Galili of Decker, Pex & Co. provided through this process.
I am a Jewish, 80-year-old American, and my wife is not Jewish. We had started the process on our own back in November 2020 via the Jewish Agency and Nefesh B’Nefesh, but soon became entangled in the delays and often-changing regulations due to Covid-19. The pandemic also caused delays in obtaining the required apostilles for various documents from various state agencies and the US State Department.
We found Decker, Pex & Co. On the internet and began working with Ariel in late November 2021. Ariel did a superb job of leading us through the process, helping us to understand which documents were essential, which would most likely be required, and which, though included on the list of required documents, were rarely required. He helped us several times to understand what was likely and unlikely to occur as “the next step.” Helping us manage our expectations was extremely useful to us.
Besides his knowing the laws, regulations and procedures, Ariel also made us feel that he was truly interested in helping us to successfully work through this process in as smooth, timely, and frustration-free manner as possible.
My wife and I strongly recommend anyone planning to go through this process seriously consider hiring Decker, Pex, Ofir & Co. and, specifically, Ariel Galili.
Halvor Ronning
Courteous, clear, efficient service.
David De La Rosa
Very friendly, professional, and effective, highly recommended
Kfir Cohen
We were searching for a law firm that will be honest with us and really work hard for a satisfying result, it wasn't an easy task
We found them online; they were the only law firm from all of our searchings which were completely honest and NOT gave us just what we wanted to hear
Using them guaranteed honesty above all. A legal team that is friendly and cares for a superb result
They really care about helping their customers without any other interest
Nadia gave us service behind what we expected; she was professional which lead to fast and easy process with great result
We definitely recommend using them
Sergei m Vashkevich
We came to Mr. Joshua with so many questions (and most of all, with so many concerns and worries) …
When we explained our case to him, first of all, he calmed us down and helped us to see the big picture, which took away our fears;
Then he presented us with a detailed explanation and a few options to explore, and a timeline, how things work and necessary steps to undertake on our part,
We thank and highly recommend Mr. Joshua for showing us so much empathy, care and professionalism (!)
Jacob Newberry
A really excellent firm. They knew exactly how to handle my situation effectively and efficiently, and we got the result I needed without much fuss. Adi Berger was a wonderful advocate for me and I am deeply grateful for her help!
Gáspár Erőss
If you need to solve any complicated legal issue in Israel, don't hesitate to contact them. Otherwise you will loose hours/days/weeks with things that they can solve in minutes. They helped me to obtain my expert working visa in Israel and even after that they responded further questions and gave me advices related to administrative issues in Israel which saved me a lot of time. Irena Rosenberg and Michael Decker worked on my case, they are very professional and helpful. They will not let you down, feel free to contact them.
Israel iluz
We were very satisfied with the service of Nehama. She was very professional in all her dealings and kept us informed all the way.
We highly recommend this law firm. They proved to be reliable, efficient and pleasant to work with.
Morgan Jones
The team at Decker, Pex & Co have been awesome to work with in helping our US company establish banking in Israel and in providing counsel for legal needs in Israel. I highly recommend!
Prima Lorenzo
I admire the Austrian citizenship team in Tel-Aviv branch! They deserve more then 5 stars!! They are very friendly and professional. I've got Austrian citizenship in 4 months for all family members which consists of 12 people! The entire team is very friendly and responsive. They are always answering questions and support during the process. I recommend to everyone. Was 100% satisfied.
Marce Ruth St. Rey
Party time in the heart, my beloved husband received his residence after so much time of battles and faith. Gratitude, God has blessed us with wonderful beings who have accompanied us, including a "precious angel" who touched our hearts, our excellent and fantastic lawyer: Maria Chernin Dekel, sweet and wonderful human being, who has guided us and stayed On our side. side in this intense legal transit whom we bless on every occasion. God bless you dear Maria, you have exceeded your professional duty by containing us and collaborating with us in hard times, very hard, for that we want to thank you publicly, you are unique!!!
We bless and thank the entire team at Decker Pex Tal Ofir Law Firm.
The process of applying for Austrian citizenship for people persecuted by the Nazis in Austria and their descendants has, in recent years, become simpler than before. Likewise, the list of those entitled to citizenship has been greatly expanded. However, in order to embark on the process, applicants must provide proof of their eligibility. If you do not have such proof on hand, you can conduct archival research in order to find relevant proof for the purpose of obtaining Austrian citizenship.
Austrian citizenship for Nazi persecution victims and their descendants – what benefits does it confer and how does one prove eligibility?
Following a reform of the Austrian Citizenship Law that took effect in 2020, Jews who lived in Austria, were persecuted by the Nazi regime and left Austrian territory before May 15, 1955, may be eligible to receive Austrian citizenship. This entitlement also passes to descendants of the persecution victims (children, grandchildren and sometimes even great-grandchildren).
The result is that hundreds of thousands of Israelis may be eligible to receive Austrian citizenship and an Austrian passport. Austrian passport holders can visit any of the European Union countries and stay in them freely, for the purposes of work, studies, etc. They can enter over 180 countries in the world, including countries that people with only Israeli passports are not allowed to enter. It is also possible, with an Austrian passport, to enter the United States without the need for a visa.
In order to become Austrian citizens and enjoy these significant benefits, applicants must first prove their eligibility for citizenship. Eligibility can be proven through documents showing that the family relations who were persecuted by the Nazis, on whom the application is based, do indeed meet the eligibility conditions stated in the Austrian Citizenship Law.
Proving eligibility is rather complicated for many, as the Austrian authorities require the presentation of unequivocal evidence of the original persecution victim’s connection to Austria, as well as between the victim and their descendant. However, this evidence is not always available. In many cases, finding proof of eligibility requires conducting a search in the Austrian archives, and this is a task that can be quite complex. Below we will explain this in detail.
What documents may prove eligibility for Austrian citizenship?
To show the Austrian authorities that you are among those eligible to receive Austrian citizenship for Nazi persecution victims and their descendants, you must provide evidence that the persecution victims were residents of the Austro-Hungarian Empire between 1933 – 1955, and the center of their lives was in an area that is part of Austria today.
The list of documents that may be used as proof of this is quite extensive. It may include, among other things, old passports, diplomas attesting to high school or academic studies in Austria, marriage certificates, registration extracts from a local authority in Austria, and so on. The type of relevant documents varies from case to case according to the personal characteristics of the persecuted (age, area of residence, the date they left Austria, etc.).
When may archival research be required for obtaining Austrian citizenship?
If you do not possess evidence of the kind mentioned above, or if the documentation you have is not sufficient to unequivocally prove initial eligibility for Austrian citizenship, research in the Austrian archives, which have done a fairly good job of preserving documents from the relevant period, may yield the necessary evidence.
You can contact the archives in Austria for the purpose of locating documents that you are missing, both for the purpose of proving the initial eligibility and entry into the process, and for the purpose of submitting documents that are relevant to the citizenship application, such as a marriage certificate of the persecution victim.
How is archival research conducted successfully?
The key to successful archival research, for the purpose of finding evidence required to prove eligibility to receive Austrian citizenship, lies in understanding what the relevant documents are, and where exactly to look for them. As mentioned, the relevant documents vary from case to case, according to different characteristics of the family relation who was persecuted by the Nazis and on whom the application is based.
Thus, for example, if the persecuted were young boys during the relevant period, a high school diploma may serve as relevant proof. If they were students, it is recommended to try to find a certificate of academic studies. If they owned a business, the business registration certificate in which they appear as the owner, or other official documents linking them to the business, could help prove a life center in Austria.
A central difficulty that often arises is that the relevant details about the persecution victim are unknown. In these cases, it is important to conduct genealogical research to find out these details, even before setting out on the search for relevant documents. More often than not, the persecution victim on whom the application is based is no longer alive. In these cases, you can try to ask family members about the background of the persecution victim.
Where should the archival research be conducted?
Once you have figured out which documents may be relevant, you submit an application to the official Austrian archives. In many cases, another difficulty arises — locating the relevant archive. There are quite a few archives in Austria, some of which are very large and some of which are quite small. It is important to figure out in advance which archives you should contact.
If, for example, it is known that the persecution victim lived in Vienna, the search task may be simpler, since the archives in Vienna contain records of the inhabitants of the city and the surrounding metropolis. On the other hand, if it is only known that the persecution victim lived in the Salzburg area, for example, the situation may be more complicated. This is because there are about 160 towns and villages around Salzburg, and the documentation may be found in the archives of any one of them.
This is where the experience of an attorney specializing in Austrian immigration law comes into play, whose experience will enable them to help in locating the relevant place to search for the documentation required to prove eligibility for an Austrian passport. Enlisting the services of an attorney who specializes in handling Austrian citizenship applications already at the early stage of locating proof of eligibility, may significantly streamline the process of applying for Austrian citizenship.
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