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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