The State of Israel provides foreign citizens, including Russians, with the opportunity to work on its territory. According to the procedure established by law, for employment you need a work visa to Israel, which is issued by the consulate in Russia. In order to obtain a permit, you need to find a job in an Israeli company, receive an invitation, prepare papers and submit for consideration.
What is a visa for employment purposes?
A work visa is an authorization document that gives the right to enter and temporarily stay in the territory of the relevant country for a specific purpose (to officially get a job). This type of visa is considered non-immigrant.
The permit is issued by the country's consulates abroad for a limited time.
The basis for issuing a visa is a work permit issued by the Population and Immigration Authority of the Israeli Ministry of Internal Affairs (PIBA Authority), which is provided upon request from licensed employers or recruitment agencies.
Work permit in Israel
According to Israeli labor law, representatives of certain professions are required to obtain a special license or confirmation of qualifications from Israeli ministries. The process involves passing exams to determine whether the repatriate’s existing knowledge and work experience meets Israeli requirements. Some professions require registration with the relevant departments of the Ministry of Labour, Social Security and Public Services.
The process of obtaining an employment license depends on the specialty, the repatriate’s total work experience in the profession and confirmation of existing diplomas. A work permit is issued by the relevant Israeli ministry or department. A license for medical workers is issued by the Ministry of Health, teachers should apply to the Ministry of Education, architects should apply to the Ministry of Economy. At the legislative level, categories are identified that require obtaining a license:
Healthcare professionals: doctors, dentists, psychologists, nutritionists, physiotherapists
General workers: lawyers, teachers, social workers, engineers, architects
Representatives of the industry: electricians, architects, engineers
Receipt procedure
Russians who plan to work for an Israeli company in 2021 need to consistently do everything they need to go to Israel to work.
First of all, you need to find vacancies that Israeli employers offer for Russian citizens. A list of licensed recruitment agencies that hire foreign workers can be found on the website. The interview is usually conducted via Skype.
Concluding a preliminary employment contract is the next stage.
In order for a Russian citizen to independently obtain a work visa to Israel, the employer must obtain a work permit for a foreigner from the Department of Population and Immigration Affairs of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. After obtaining the permit, you can submit an application for a B1 visa to the diplomatic mission at the applicant’s place of residence.
Required papers
Information about what documents are needed to work in Israel and apply for a work visa can be found on the official website. The list includes:
- application form;
- a certificate confirming no criminal record;
- a medical certificate containing the results of blood tests for hepatitis, HIV infection, and fluorography of the lungs for tuberculosis;
- 2 color photographs on a white background (size 50x50mm, face size - 70%);
- birth certificate;
- foreign passport (the document must be valid for at least two years at the time of entry into the country);
- declaration of fingerprinting;
- work permit issued by the Israeli Ministry of Internal Affairs;
- receipt of payment of state duty.
Certificates and certificates must be certified by an apostille.
When considering an application for a work visa to Israel, the consul may require additional documents:
- an employment contract concluded with the employer;
- air ticket reservations;
- confirmation of residence;
- medical insurance for the duration of your stay in the country;
- document confirming receipt of professional education.
What document does an Israeli employer issue?
The question of how to get a work visa to Israel must be resolved by searching for an employer: only holders of a license from the Office of Population and Immigration Affairs of the Ministry of Internal Affairs to hire foreign workers have the right to hire foreigners.
The licensed employer must apply and provide the required paperwork to the Department of the Interior. You will need information about the company (contacts, number of employees, financial status report), justification for the need to hire a foreigner, a diploma of education (translated into Hebrew and notarized), a resume and a copy of the foreign candidate’s foreign passport.
After the application is approved by the Department of Population and Immigration Affairs of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, a work permit in Israel is issued to Russians. Then a work visa is issued at the Israeli consulate: it is issued after an interview with the applicant and provision of the necessary package of papers.
Where to go in Russia
Israeli diplomatic missions in the Russian Federation accept visitors only by appointment. If a question arises about where to apply for a work visa to Israel in the capital, then you need to contact the consular department of the Embassy located at Bolshaya Ordynka Street, 56.
The Consulate General operates in St. Petersburg, location: st. Khersonskaya 12-14, Business Center "Renaissance Pravda".
You can consult on how to obtain a work permit in Israel for Russians and get help from the Jewish Agency “Sokhnut”. Representative offices of the organization operate in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Samara, Rostov, Novosibirsk, Khabarovsk, Pyatigorsk, Irkutsk, and Yekaterinburg. The curators of “Sokhnut” will provide up-to-date information on how to get to Israel to work and will help you contact the consul.
Applying for a work visa to Israel
First, let's note the fact that getting a work visa to Israel in 2021 is very difficult , and sometimes even impossible. Experienced applicants from the CIS countries note a high rate of visa refusals and enormous difficulties in finding vacancies. Although, the Israeli authorities officially declare their readiness to provide jobs to foreigners in some industries. For example, in the social sphere (nurses), construction, agriculture and industry.
Among the positive aspects of the process of labor migration to Israel, one can highlight almost equal conditions for all foreigners . Requirements for obtaining a work visa apply to any applicant, regardless of country of origin. For example, in contrast to the European Union, whose citizens have the right to free employment in any member country of this association.
Moreover, Ukrainians, Russians and Belarusians can stay in Israel for up to 90 days without first obtaining a visa. This is a significant plus. If there are no problems crossing the border, then within 3 months there is a good chance of finding an employer, passing an interview and resolving other procedural issues. We warn you right away - do not try to work in Israel without a work visa . In other words, illegal.
Procedure for obtaining a work visa to Israel
- Search for a vacancy in an Israeli company.
- Passing an interview and concluding an employment contract.
- Obtaining a work permit from the local and national office of the Israeli Ministry of Industry, Trade and Labor. The latter department makes a decision and gives a written recommendation to the Israeli Ministry of Internal Affairs on the advisability of issuing a visa.
- Submitting an application for a work visa to the Israeli department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs (Misrad Hapnim).
- Submitting a list of required documents for a B-1 work visa to the Israeli Consulate in the country of residence (see below).
The employer is responsible for issuing permits, with the active participation of the applicant in the preparation of documents. The final decision on issuing work visas to foreigners is made by the local Ministry of Internal Affairs, which has complete freedom of action in this matter. The application review process may take from 2 to 4 months .
Initially, Israeli diplomatic staff will issue a temporary work visa valid for 30 days. After moving, the foreigner receives a permanent visa for 1 year with the right to extend up to 5 years (plus 3 months). The document is strictly tied to the workplace.
Cost and terms
The visa has a maximum validity of one year. Even when the work permit is valid for a longer period, work visas are issued for Russian citizens to Israel for no more than 12 months.
A foreigner does not have the right to stay in the country after the expiration of the visa; he must immediately leave the country. Violation of the law risks arrest and deportation.
The B1 visa can be extended, but provided that 63 months have not passed since the foreigner’s arrival. Care workers will not be able to apply for an extension if 51 months have passed since their arrival.
You can consult with your employer on how to obtain a work visa while in Israel.
As a rule, a visa is issued in the country of citizenship. In order to extend its validity, you need to contact one of the local offices of the Office of Population and Immigration of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
On the official website of the Israeli diplomatic mission in the Russian Federation you can find out how much a work visa to Israel costs for Russians. A consular fee is charged for processing documents when an application is submitted. If for some reason a visa is refused, the money is non-refundable. The price for services of the consular department is 1500 rubles.
When applying for a permit to hire a foreigner, an Israeli employer pays for the services of the Office of Population and Immigration Affairs. The total cost of a work visa to Israel increases due to this amount, which is equal to 1190 shekels (approximately $350).
The process of reviewing papers at the Israeli embassy takes 5 working days. Since when issuing a permit, a special request is sent to the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the State of Israel, the consideration may be delayed.
Obtaining a visa at the embassy
Here's how to get a work visa to Israel at the diplomatic mission:
- Collect a small set of required papers.
- Fill out the form. you can follow this link.
- Make an appointment at the diplomatic mission. To do this, you need to follow the link https://consulate-secure-form-01.itor.co.il/Apt.aspx?clh=bf1u0202-2015-0ugw-gtnn-a7g5j2bMoscow&lang=ru.
- On the appointed day and time, appear at the diplomatic mission to: submit the prepared documentation;
- pass an interview;
- pay the consular fee.
5 days after submitting the application and paying the fee, the visa will be ready.
Visa documentation
A work visa to Israel is opened upon submission of the following documents:
- Application form, fully completed and signed.
- Photographs (2 pieces, 50 by 50 mm).
- Declaration of fingerprinting and digital photography.
- Original and photocopy of the international passport.
- Apostilled birth certificate.
- Certified certificate of no criminal record.
- Certificate of medical examination conducted in a hospital recognized by the embassy. Among other things, the medical certificate must indicate the results of: a blood test;
- tests for tuberculosis, hepatitis and AIDS.
Payment of the fee
How much does a work visa to Israel cost? Its price is 2 thousand 800 rubles. Money is charged for processing the application. If the application is rejected, they will not be returned.
If a refusal is received
There is a high probability that a B1 work visa to Israel will not be issued. The most common reasons for refusal:
- having a criminal record;
- violation of the rules of stay in the country;
- illegal work;
- presence of problems with the law;
- providing false information about yourself;
- the employer does not have a license to employ foreigners.
The Israeli consulate has the right to refuse verbally without giving reasons.
You can try to appeal the embassy's decision, but an applicant who is outside Israel should hardly count on a positive result.
If you re-submit your documents, the chances that you will receive a work visa to Israel are reduced to zero.
There are situations when the applicant does not appear at the consulate for a long time due to waiting for a decision from the Department of Population and Immigration Affairs of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the country, and the consulate refuses to issue a visa. In this case, a second check will be required at the Israeli Ministry of Internal Affairs, which takes about 3-4 weeks.
Procedure for obtaining a Work visa for citizens of Belarus
A work visa to Israel for Belarusians is opened according to the same principle as for Russians. The only difference is that documents are submitted to the Israeli embassy not in Moscow, but in Minsk.
Otherwise everything is exactly the same:
- Search for an Israeli employer.
- An employer's application to the Israeli Ministry of Internal Affairs for permission to hire a foreign employee.
- Submission to the diplomatic mission of visa documentation similar to that prepared by Russian applicants.
- Passing the interview and paying the fee.
- Waiting for a response, obtaining a visa and entering the Middle Eastern power for a new job.
As a result
Foreigners who have received a work visa have the right to go to Israel to work. The employer and the applicant are involved in the registration process. Concluding a preliminary employment contract, obtaining a work permit from the Israeli Ministry of Internal Affairs, submitting an application to the Israeli diplomatic mission in Russia are the main stages of registration.
It is important to know that a work visa to Israel for Russians is issued and extended only at the PIBA Office. You should beware of people who offer to produce fake visas or promise work for a period after the document expires.
Procedure for obtaining an Israeli Work visa for Russians
Here's how to get a work visa to Israel for a Russian citizen:
- Find an employer willing to provide available space to a foreign worker. To search for a suitable vacancy, you can use specialized websites and forums, view advertisements in the media, contact an employment agency, etc. The employer can be either an individual or an Israeli company.
- After an employer has been found, you need to agree with him on the terms of the employment contract. If the agreement suits both parties, the employer can apply to the Israeli Ministry of Internal Affairs (the department for work with the population) for permission to hire a Russian employee. Without the approval of the ministry, work visas are not issued.
- As soon as the Ministry of Internal Affairs issues the permit, the citizen must submit a visa application. A work visa to Israel for Russians is opened at the embassy of a Middle Eastern state, in the consular section. The diplomatic institution operates in Moscow. If you have approval from the Ministry of Internal Affairs, problems with obtaining a visa usually do not arise.
- After the visa application is approved, the applicant receives an entry document and is sent to a new place of work.
It is important to note that an Israeli Work visa is issued for employment in a specific field of activity. It is prohibited to work in a field not specified in the entry document.
