All foreign nationals wishing to work in Israel must have an Israel Work Permit & a B-1 work visa. These are two separate documents a foreign worker must apply for, in sequence. Putting your hands on a work visa in Israel is no walk in the park; you will need to be patient, dedicated and organized in order to get one. The B-1 Work Visa for foreign expert workers is a special visa category that has its own procedure & requirements. Israeli employers must provide evidence to show that they need special expertise that these foreign experts possess. There are different expertise fields, which include academics, medicine, hi-tech, industry, arts, etc.
Obtaining a work visa
Experts who are not from Israel must apply to obtain a work permit prior to the commencement of employment. An employment permit and a B-1 work visa apply to various types of workers from the first day of employment. The job and duration of employment, will play a role in determining the application procedure.
There are different branches where the applicant needs to apply and each branch will need different documents and papers, and based on their workflow, the application processing time will vary too. As a prerequisite, the applicant is required to submit their resume with their application, as well as a certificate of education from a recognized academic institution of higher learning or relevant vocational training.
Expert Work Visa Requirements
The Israeli Government requires that companies/contractors requesting the Foreign Expert Work Visa to meet the following conditions and to submit required document and papers:
- A work visa application form
- Company registration certificate
- Copy of the 102 form submitted to Bituach Leumi (Israeli Social Security)
- A letter explaining the necessity for the foreign expert’s expertise, and
- Other papers and recommendations that support the request.
A foreign expert’s salary must be equal or higher than double the average salary in Israel. Note, that amount is updated on an annual basis. Make sure you check and get the most up to date figure.
The duration of the application process takes approximately 2 to 3 months, depending on workload, holidays, and quota of visa applications within either MOI offices in Israel, or abroad.
The process to obtain an expert work visa in Israel isn’t easy. Should you need help with your business migration process, we’re here to help!
