What Is Olim First Steps?

Olim First Steps is a dedicated employment programme from CWS Israel that lets new immigrants (Olim Hadashim) work legally in Israel from their first day, without setting up a company or a self-employed file. CWS Israel acts as your Employer of Record: it employs you on a compliant Israeli payroll, handles tax and National Insurance registration, and pays your salary in shekels — while you keep doing your job. It is built specifically for people who have just made aliyah and need income and legal status immediately.

For many Olim, the biggest post-aliyah shock is not the language or the bureaucracy — it is discovering that they cannot simply keep getting paid the way they did abroad. Whether you are keeping a remote role with an overseas employer, joining an Israeli company, or freelancing for international clients, Olim First Steps gives you a compliant employment structure from day one. CWS Israel has 12 years’ experience employing people in Israel, undergoes an annual PwC-reviewed compliance audit, and is a member of Staffing Industry Analysts (SIA).

You can see the full programme overview on the Olim First Steps service page, or read on for a complete breakdown of how it works in 2026.

Why New Olim Struggle to Work Legally After Aliyah in 2026

Most new Olim struggle because a foreign employer usually cannot legally pay an Israeli-resident employee without an Israeli payroll, and setting up self-employment is slow and risky in your first months. As of 2026, once you become an Israeli tax resident, your worldwide employment must run through the Israeli tax and National Insurance system. That single fact catches thousands of Olim off guard every year.

The programmes that bring you to Israel do not solve this. Nefesh B’Nefesh and the Ministry of Aliyah and Integration handle your aliyah, your Teudat Zehut, and your initial absorption basket (Sal Klita) — but they do not become your employer. There is a real gap between “I have landed” and “I am legally earning a salary,” and that gap is exactly what Olim First Steps was designed to close.

The stakes are higher than they look. Working without proper Israeli payroll can jeopardise your National Insurance (Bituach Leumi) coverage, your pension and severance accrual, your health-fund registration, and even the clean tax record you need to enjoy your Oleh benefits. Getting the structure right from the start is far easier than fixing it later.

How Olim First Steps Works: Step by Step

Olim First Steps works in four simple stages: a free consultation, a compliant employment contract, registration with the Israeli authorities, and your first shekel payslip — typically within 48 hours of paperwork. CWS Israel manages every compliance step so you can focus on settling in.

Step 1 — Free consultation

You book a free 30-minute call with CWS Israel to map your situation: your employer or clients, your salary, your aliyah date, and your Oleh status. This determines whether an Employer of Record arrangement, payroll outsourcing, or a freelancer solution fits you best.

Step 2 — English-first employment contract

CWS Israel issues a fully compliant Israeli employment contract in English. If you are keeping a job with an overseas company, that company simply pays CWS Israel, and CWS Israel employs you locally — a model explained in detail on our Employer of Record services page.

Step 3 — Registration with the Israeli authorities

CWS Israel registers you with the Tax Authority (Mas Hachnasa) and National Insurance (Bituach Leumi), opens your pension and severance reserves, and connects you to your chosen health fund (Kupat Cholim). Nothing is left for you to chase.

Step 4 — Your first Israeli payslip

You receive a monthly shekel salary with a proper Israeli payslip (Tlush Maskoret), full statutory benefits, and clear English reporting. Onboarding is typically completed within 48 hours once documents are in hand.

What You Get with Olim First Steps

Olim First Steps gives you legal employment status, full Israeli statutory benefits, English-language support, and a 25% discount on the CWS Israel management fee for your first year. In short, you get everything a local employee gets — plus support built for someone who is brand new to the country.

📄 Legal status from day one. A compliant Israeli employment relationship, so your income, taxes, and National Insurance are correct from your very first month as an Israeli resident.

💰 Full statutory benefits. As of 2026 these include a pension (employer contribution of 6.5%), a severance reserve (8.33%), National Insurance coverage, paid annual leave (a statutory minimum of 12–14 days rising with seniority), sick leave accruing at 1.5 days per month, and recovery pay (Dmei Havraah) worth several thousand shekels a year after your first year.

🛡 Protected Oleh benefits. Correct structure helps you preserve your 10-year foreign-income tax exemption and your eligibility for absorption benefits, rather than accidentally undermining them.

💼 English-first, multilingual service. All contracts, payslips, and communications are available in English, with support also in Hebrew, Russian, and Arabic — so nothing gets lost in translation.

Olim First Steps also includes a 25% discount on the CWS Israel management fee for your entire first year in Israel, making the compliant path the affordable path. You can review standard rates on our EOR pricing page.

Olim First Steps vs the Alternatives

Compared with registering as self-employed (Osek Murshe) or waiting to find a local job, Olim First Steps is faster, lower-risk, and gives you employee-grade protections immediately. The table below shows how the three paths compare for a new immigrant in 2026.

If you are weighing self-employment specifically, our Freelancer Shield service offers a compliant middle path for Olim who genuinely want to freelance for multiple clients.

The Legal and Tax Framework for Working Olim

New Olim enjoy a 10-year exemption from Israeli tax on most foreign-source income and capital gains, but from 2026 they must still report that income, and US citizens keep filing US returns regardless. Getting your employment structure right protects these benefits instead of eroding them.

The 10-year Oleh exemption still applies. As of 2026, a new immigrant is generally exempt from Israeli tax on foreign-source income and gains for ten years from the date they become an Israeli resident. Importantly, a 2024 amendment removed the old reporting exemption for anyone becoming resident on or after 1 January 2026 — the tax exemption remains, but you now have to report the foreign income and assets to the Israel Tax Authority. This makes clean, professional record-keeping more valuable than ever.

Israeli-source salary is taxable normally. Income you earn for work performed in Israel is Israeli-source and taxed under the standard system, alongside National Insurance and health-tax contributions. As of 2026, the employer’s Bituach Leumi contribution is 4.51% on the portion of monthly salary up to ₪7,703 and 7.6% above that, up to the ceiling. VAT is 18% and corporate tax is 23% — figures worth verifying against the Israel Tax Authority for your specific circumstances.

US citizens: the extra layer. The United States taxes based on citizenship, so US Olim must keep filing US federal returns, report foreign bank accounts on an FBAR when aggregate balances exceed 10,000 US dollars, and comply with FATCA. Double taxation is usually avoided through the Foreign Tax Credit and the US-Israel tax treaty — but note there is no US-Israel social security totalization agreement as of 2026, so contributions can apply on both sides. We cover this in depth in our guide on aliyah and US taxes. CWS Israel is not a tax advisor; for personal cross-border planning, consult a qualified US-Israel accountant.

Who Olim First Steps Is For

Olim First Steps is for any new immigrant who needs to earn legally in Israel quickly — whether you are keeping a remote job abroad, joining an Israeli employer, or working for international clients. It is especially valuable in your first year, when the paperwork is heaviest and your Hebrew may still be developing.

It fits remote professionals keeping a US or European employer who cannot run Israeli payroll themselves; tech workers, consultants, and finance professionals who made aliyah mid-career; and Olim who want employee protections rather than the exposure of solo self-employment. If your situation is more complex — equity, multiple clients, or a future move to your own Israeli entity — CWS Israel can map the full journey with you.

Frequently Asked Questions