A foreign national who has been assigned to work in Israel must obtain a work permit and an appropriate entry visa. Israeli law generally provdes for only one type of work status relating to the employment of foreign professionals and non-professionals alike: the B-1 visa category.
The process for obtaining a B-1 visa includes four separate bureaucratic steps: (1) submission of a work permit application with the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Labor (hereinafter: "MOITAL"); (2) filing of a subsequent visa application with the Ministry of Interior (hereinafter: "MOI"); (3) issuance of a short term B-1 visa at the relevant Israeli consular post abroad prior to entry into Israel; and (4) extension of the B-1 visa at the MOI after arrival in Israel, and obtaining a multiple entry visa for the entire B-1 approval period.
The assignee may also be regarded as an "Approved Specialist", enjoying tax benefits. For further information regarding "Approved Specialist" please click here.
First Step: Work Permit Application
An Israeli employer must be the official sponsor of a work permit application. In doing so, the Israeli employer files a work permit application with MOITAL. A work permit application must contain a detailed description of the job position offered and also provide complete details relating to the prospective employee, including educational background, professional experience, proposed salary in Israel, housing arrangements, etc. Processing times for work permit applications currently range from 4-8 weeks.
If the application is approved, MOITAL will issue a B-1 recommendation letter to the MOI. Such recommendation letters are normally valid for up to one year; the employer may request annual renewals of this recommendation for up to one year each.
Second and Third Steps: Visa Application & Consular Processing
Upon issuance of the MOITAL recommendation letter, an application may be filed with the MOI, asking that it instruct the relevant Israeli consular post abroad to issue a B-1 work visa to the foreign national. Applications must include, among other things, an undertaking to provide the employee with valid health insurance covering the term of the authorized B-1 employment. Processing times for this notice currently range from 2-4 weeks.
If the applicant is in Israel at the time of the work permit approval, he/she must depart from Israel for at least 7 days prior to the submission of the application for a work visa at the MOI. The applicant will have to remain abroad until the working visa will be issued in his/her passport at the Israeli consulate abroad (generally, 21 days staying outside of Israel).
NOTE: The initial validity period of B-1 work visas is limited to thirty days; moreover, the visa will generally be issued for a single entry only. In some cases, depending on the individual’s nationality, a special security clearance may be required prior to the approval of the application. Processing of security clearance currently ranges from 2-8 weeks.
Visa procedures often vary from consulate to consulate. In some countries, mostly Eastern and South American countries, medical checks by an approved clinic will be required for visa issuance. These checks could include, for example: HIV test, Hepatitis B surface antigen test (Hepatitis C screening), and a Tuberculosis test.
Under new regulations, work permits and valid B-1 visas must be arranged prior to entry to Israel, as petitions for B-1 visa classification cannot be made by way of change of status.
Fourth Step: Visa Extension in Israel
Following entry into Israel, an application for a new B-1 visa stamp for an extended validity period (up to one year) and valid for multiple entries, must be processed at the local MOI. This latter step should be completed within 30 days from date of arrival.
Any departure from Israel before such visa is provided, will cancel the applicant's B-1 visa obtained at the consulate, and will require reprocessing of the visa at the consulate. Therefore, it is important that the applicant advise KTA as soon as possible prior to the date of expected arrival to Israel, to receive instructions regarding sending the passport to our office.
Refusal of Application by the Ministry of Interior
The MOI has the authority to refuse the B-1 visa application. When refusing an application, the MOI is under no obligation to inform the applicant of the grounds for the refusal. Visa denials are generally not subject to judicial review except in extreme circumstances. The most common grounds for refusal include: (1) possession of a criminal record in Israel and/or abroad; (2) previous legal or illegal residence or work in Israel; or (3) the making of a false material statement by the applicant.
Traveling to Israel During the Work Visa Process
Work permit applicants can travel to Israel for business trips (working is not permitted) from the date of initiation of the process until starting the consular processing following the approval of MOITAL (See Second and Third steps above - approximately 45 days after work permit submission). It is recommended to minimize business trips while the process is pending, to avoid suspicion of dual intention by the border control.
In case the applicant's nationality is not included within the nationality waiver visa list, a relevant application for the issuing of a B-2 visitor visa at the Israeli consulate abroad must be submitted in advance.
The B-1 visa always corresponds in duration to that of the MOITAL recommendation letter. Derivative visas for accompanying family members are normally issued for a similar duration. Please note that the MOI will refuse to issue derivative visas to an accompanying family member if, for example, the Ministry suspects that the family member will engage in unauthorized employment.
Family members are not authorized to work in Israel, unless they are the beneficiaries of separate work permit applications, processed in accordance with the procedures, as described above.
Most B-1 visas are non-transferable, and are granted for one year with the possibility of renewal, for a period of up to five years and three months maximum. A request to renew the work permit must be filed by the employer at least 90 days before expiration of the B-1 visa, following the process described above.
The Entry to Israel Law (1952) and the Foreign Employees Law (1991) are the primary laws governing the issuance of B-1 visas and subsequent admission and residence in Israel. It is the responsibility of the employer to abide by these statutory provisions. Employment of foreign nationals without a valid B-1 visa is a ciminal offense and may subject the employer to a heavy fine and/or even imprisonment. Moreover, an individual found to be working without a valid work visa is subject to deportation from Israel at the expense of the employer.
B-1 Visa Process Presentation