Permanent Residence Permits In Israel: Explained
Navigating the process of obtaining a permanent residence permit in Israel can be complex. But fear not! We’v got your back in this!
In this article, we’ll explore the requirements, benefits, and essential steps to help you secure your place in the vibrant Israeli community.
Let’s dive in!
How To Move To Israel?
There are a few ways how you can move to Israel temporarily or permanently, listed and briefly explained below in this article.
Aliyah For Jewish Migrants Wishing To Settle In Israel
All Jews, no matter where they were born, are Israeli citizens by right. For real!
Every person born to a Jewish parent, or who is a convert to Judaism, and is not a member of another religion, living anywhere in the world, has the right to return to Israel and enjoy the full benefits of being an Israeli citizen.
The Jewish Agency handles the Aliya (immigration) for Jews abroad wishing to settle in Israel, due to an agreement with the Israeli government.
You will need to call the Global Centre or your local Jewish Agency office to open your Aliya file.
They will give you a list of the documents you need to collect and the rest of the procedures you need to complete.
Once you get your Aliya and move to Israel, you will be able to live, work and study here.
You will also receive a sum of money called the Sal Klitah, once you are in Israel.
The money is to help you settle and you will receive a part of the amount at the airport. The rest will be deposited into your bank account in six monthly payments.
Moving To Israel To Join A Spouse
If your spouse is already living in Israel and you want to move here to join them, you can apply for the Israeli A/4 visa, which is for spouses and minor children of A/2 student visa holders and A/3 clergy visa holders.
It permits the visa recipients to join their parents and spouses in Israel, but not to work here.
Only children under the age of 18 or the spouse of the holder of one of the two visas listed below are eligible to get an A/4 visa for spouses and children:
While the visa is valid for a maximal period of one year, or until the visa of the A/2 or the A/3 holder expires, whichever comes first, you can extend it as soon as your spouse has a valid A/2 or A/3 visa
You will, however, not be eligible to work or study in Israel with this visa. If you want to do whichever, you will have to apply for the relevant Israel work visa or study visa.
Moving To Israel For Employment
Moving to Israel for employment is one of the routes to move here used by many. While you can enjoy living in the sunbaked Israeli cities, you can also work and earn a living.
The Israeli B-1 visa is the general type of work permit for foreign nationals provided by Israeli law.
Everybody that has a concrete job offer in Israel can apply for it. The employer/sponsor and the employee are both involved in the work visa and work permit application procedures.
You can apply for a B/1 Work Visa for Israel for jobs that fall under the following categories:
- Specialists Work In Academic Fields: Engineers for Research and Development Teams, Auditors, Senior Executives, and other Senior Supervisors.
- Specialists Work In Non-academic Fields: for jobs that do not require a certificate of education as a precondition for an academic institution of higher education.
- Experts Work Up To 3 Months (STEP): for those holding a certificate of education at an academic institution of higher education or relevant vocational training, wishing to stay in Israel for up to three months.
- High Tech Work Visa (HIT): for the employment of foreign experts in high-tech and cyber companies.
- Work In Israel Up To 45 days (SEA): for foreign experts who wish to enter Israel for a short period (defined and limited) that does not exceed 45 days per calendar year in total.
To be eligible to get a B/1 Work visa you must have a permit to work in Israel first. Your employer in Israel is responsible for applying for a work permit for you.
The Israeli embassy in your country of residence will grant you a B-1 visa valid for up to 30 days, which is a single entry.
As soon as you arrive in Israel, you should apply to the Ministry of Interior for an extended validity, multiple-entry B-1 visa stamp.
Extensions of up to one year each may be permitted, but total stay in B-1 status ordinarily may not exceed five years and three months.
Moving To Israel To Study
Another way of moving to Israel temporarily is to come to study here, with an Israeli A/2 Student Visa.
This is a permit to enter Israel for those admitted to an educational institution in Israel.
The A/2 Student Visa for Israel is renewable and permits students of all ages from abroad to live and study in Israel, including those in elementary and high schools, academic institutions, yeshivot, and youth institutions of the Jewish Agency.
It does not authorize its holder to work.
However, note that you will not be eligible to apply for an A/2 Student Visa for Israel if you have Israeli parents (e.g. an Ezrach Oleh).
By law, those who qualify for Israeli citizenship must apply for an Israeli passport.
A student visa for Israel is valid for one year. Before the expiration of your visa, you can apply for a visa extension for another year.
You can extend or renew your visa as long as you are enrolled at an educational institution in Israel.
What Is A Permanent Residence In Israel?
A “permanent resident” in the State of Israel is defined as a person whose center of life is in Israel, a “permanent resident” visa entitles the holder to reside in Israel for the rest of his life as long as the residency has not expired.
Permanent residency in Israel is the final status of residency which is granted at the end of the graduation procedure to a Foreign spouse, who’s not married, but in a relationship (A publicly known couple) with an Israeli citizen.
Also, a Foreign spouse who’s married to an Israeli permanent resident.
Rights Of Permanent Residency
Permanent residency grants most of the rights granted to a citizen, except the rights to hold an Israeli passport and the right to vote in elections.
The graduation process to achieve a permanent residency among a publicly known couple is much longer and lasts about 7 years.
The graduation process for a foreign spouse legally married to an Israeli citizen (Including same-sex couples who were legally married in a civil marriage) is shorter (4.5-5 years).
In its end, the civil status granted is Israeli citizenship.
What Are The Steps For Obtaining Permanent Residency In Israel?
At the beginning of the graded procedure and after the application is principally approved.
(Assuming the spouses are in a sincere and genuine relationship, their center of life is in Israel there is no security or criminal impediment to the spouse’s stay in Israel).
The foreign spouse is given a temporary residence permit of type B /1 for at least six months and usually after that, he will be given a permit of type A /5 (Temporary residency) for one year at a time.
Then the foreign spouse will be registered and a temporary identity card will be issued.
During the graded procedure of mixed spouses (foreign and Israeli), whether married or publicly known, before any further extension of the license, an interview will be conducted for the spouses, and tests will be conducted each time.
This will be done to re-examine the sincerity and existence of the spouse’s life in Israel.
And if no security or criminal incident related to the foreign spouse has occurred during the year from the last inspection.
If everything is well, these exams will take place every year before the extension of the temporary residency.
At the end of the graded procedure and before granting permanent residency, the authority will check again the conditions of the application.
If one of the conditions is no longer compliant, even in that advanced stage of the process, It can lead to the postponement and even cancellation of the entire graded procedure, along with the possibility of obtaining permanent residency.
If all the conditions are correct, the authority will issue the foreign spouse a new identity card with a permanent residency.
A foreign spouse married to an Israeli permanent resident is required to meet the conditions of Procedure No. 5.2.0011 “Procedure for granting status to a foreign spouse married to a permanent resident”.
The residency will be given to the foreign spouse’s minor children from earlier marriage only if all the procedural conditions for them have been completed, but especially if there is Explicit consent for granting a residency by the additional parent.
As stated, most civil rights in Israel are given to permanent residents as well as to Israeli citizens.
Social rights and health insurance, and rights under the National Insurance Law for unemployment benefits, income support, disability pension, and old age.
However, permanent residency is not a stable status as a citizenship and is fundamentally different from it in this respect, and may be revoked if one of the conditions for granting it ceases to exist.
The right of Israeli citizens to return to Israel at any time, regardless of how long they have been abroad, or to any additional residency or citizenship they have received abroad is reserved only for citizens.
It is not granted to permanent residents.
A permanent resident residing outside Israel without a valid visa, or for seven years or more, will lose his permanent residence in Israel and will not be able to return.
If he received citizenship or permanent residency in another country, or if the relationship by virtue, he received a permanent residency has expired.
Despite this, there are cases in which permanent residency can be returned.
If it is proven that the center of the applicant’s life was and remains in Israel.
What Are The Pros Of Having a Permanent Residency In Israel?
✅ There Are No Demands Or Limitations For Staying Within The Country: Immigrants aren’t supposed to be in Israel for some particular period to submit documents or once residency or citizenship is obtained.
Yet long-term leave will spare from all privileges Israel residency can offer (terms and details should be checked at the consulate);
✅ Medical Care: Citizens and residents of the country are provided with multi-level insurance.
Usually, it covers different procedures, sometimes even surgeries. But there are exclusions: e.g. calling an ambulance at home will cost a fortune.
✅ Developed A System Of Social Benefits And Support: Jewish organization of Sochnut offers tickets, monthly payments for 12 months, and the opportunity to study the state language for free.
✅ Quick Adaptation: The state of Israel contributes to keeping the spirit of the nation’s unity. Therefore along with governmental support, one will get help and assistance from all the people around.
✅ Additional Benefits For Launching A Business: Starting a business in Israel is also supported: one can look for assistance from state analytics which will estimate enterprise relevance and demand for its services.
✅ Simplified Taxation: Immigrants can have different tax benefits including an income tax cut for 3.5 years. Also, the income gained in the other states will be tax-free for 10 years.
✅ Housing Loan: The loan for real estate purchase is offered on the security of purchased property to guarantee the loan’s payoff.
What Is Repatriation In Israel?
This is a process of returning to the home country of people who had left it for reasons beyond their control and thus lost citizenship.
Within its mission to unite all Jews in their promised land, Israel offers repatriation opportunities to every representative of the nation.
By the Retrieving Law, the right to have a permanent residency permit (KMA) or citizenship is accessible to:
- Jew descent up to the third generation through the mother or the father, as well as their children and spouses;
- Widows and widowers of the Jewish spouse if they did not remarry after their partner’s death;
- Jew children adopted by the foreigners;
- Children of any nationality adopted by Jews;
- Foreigners who joined Judaism;
To get a repatriation permit, an immigrant-to-be has to collect a pack of documents that prove his| or her Jewish descent, pass an interview, and get a special visa.
Note: Repatriates can choose between citizenship and permanent residency. In both cases, social benefits, rights, and visa-free access to most of the world’s countries are the same.
Conclusion
As we conclude our exploration of permanent residence permits in Israel, we hope you’re equipped with the knowledge and confidence to pursue your residency goals.
Whether you’re drawn to Israel for its rich culture, economic opportunities, or sense of belonging, obtaining a permanent residence permit opens doors to a brighter future.
Israel Bound!
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