The Israeli Ministry of Interior released a new set of regulations for the Short-Term Employment Authorization (SEA) B-1 Work Visa. The new regulations include shortened visa processing times, increased duration of stay, and overall simpler application processes for candidates wishing to obtain a work visa for short stays.
Key Updates
- New regulations allow Israeli and foreign companies to apply for expedited processing of work visa requests for highly skilled individuals.
- Online application instead of the previous consular process, which significantly reduces the processing time from months to only 10 business days.
- The permitted duration of stay has increased from 45 days to up to 90 days in a calendar year.
- The SEA B-1 Work Visa cannot be extended. If the foreign national is needed for longer than 90 days, they must leave Israel before expiration of the SEA B-1 visa and apply for a new visa while out of the country.
Eligibility
- To be eligible, the foreign national must qualify by having specialized knowledge or expertise in their field of work.
- Only foreign nationals who are exempt from having to obtain a tourist visa are eligible to apply for the SEA B-1 visa (e.g. Europe, United States, Japan, Australia, etc.). Other nationals may be eligible for other visa categories.
Process Overview
- Applications shall be submitted electronically, and are processed in 10 business days.
- Upon receipt of work permit, the foreign national can travel to Israel and begin to work immediately.
- The foreign national is required to process the work visa at the Ministry of Interior within two days of arrival in Israel.
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Mayer Brown is a global services provider comprising associated legal practices that are separate entities, including Mayer Brown LLP (Illinois, USA), Mayer Brown International LLP (England & Wales), Mayer Brown (a Hong Kong partnership) and Tauil & Chequer Advogados (a Brazilian law partnership) and non-legal service providers, which provide consultancy services (collectively, the "Mayer Brown Practices"). The Mayer Brown Practices are established in various jurisdictions and may be a legal person or a partnership. PK Wong & Nair LLC ("PKWN") is the constituent Singapore law practice of our licensed joint law venture in Singapore, Mayer Brown PK Wong & Nair Pte. Ltd. Details of the individual Mayer Brown Practices and PKWN can be found in the Legal Notices section of our website. "Mayer Brown" and the Mayer Brown logo are the trademarks of Mayer Brown.
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This Mayer Brown article provides information and comments on legal issues and developments of interest. The foregoing is not a comprehensive treatment of the subject matter covered and is not intended to provide legal advice. Readers should seek specific legal advice before taking any action with respect to the matters discussed herein.
