By Amit Acco, Partner,
KTA was informed of additional questioning by border control is expected, to avoid dual intention by visitors entering as tourist or business travel with the intention of work). In such a case the individual may face a denial of entry. We recommend verifying the required visa type of each traveling to Israel before the expected travel.
According to “Globes Globes, Israel business news“, Since Israel reopened to foreign tourists on November 1, 550 foreign tourists (nearly 2%) were refused entry to Israel and put back on the first flight to where they came from, sometimes with a ban on entering Israel.
Some were refused entry for health reasons because they had not complied with Covid vaccination or testing requirements, while others had tried to enter as migrants under the guise of short-stay visitors
The Population and Immigration Authority director-general Tomer Moskowitz told “Globes Globes, Israel business news”:
“There is an increase in the entry of foreigners into Israel and together with the good there is also the bad. Until now the holding facilities for those refused entry has been empty but like wild grass, with the good things, comes people we don’t want to enter here…Until now they haven’t been able to enter anyway because the policy wasn’t to allow entry of foreigners into Israel, except with special approval. Today they try to slip through the holes in the filter. The border control apparatus is supposed to identify those whose intentions on entering are not motivated by tourism.”
How do you identify such people?
“A person arrives who doesn’t know the country at all, who has no hotel booking and has about €30 in their pocket. Our presumption is that they haven’t come to bring any pleasure to the Minister of Tourism. Beyond that the border inspectors know how to identify somebody who isn’t a tourist. It could be something to do with their body movements or other suspicious signs. Identification is their art.
In order to prevent entry of migrants, we have two filters. One is the preliminary entry visa arrangements in the countries that require this, such as India, where a visa request operates as the first filter and for which the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is responsible. In countries that don’t need the receipt of a visa ahead of time, like Ukraine, the first filter is conducted by the border inspectors, who sit in the booths at the airport and are supposed to identify them.”
A work visa will be required visa according to the activities expected to be performed in Israel. Place of salary payment, the fact that the employer is a non-Israeli company or the expected duration of the visit are not relevant for the determination of work intention that requires a work visa.
The presumption of work will typically include one of the following activities:
- Hand on the job,
- Hands-on training,
- Advising,
- Consulting,
- Installation of machines,
- Maintenance of equipment,
- Supervising a work,
- Visiting in restricted work areas (such as manufacturing, constructions areas)
Additionally, we have been advised that the Ministry of Interior will boost their worksite inspections to enforce compliance over labor and immigration employment of foreign nationals
For more information: israel work visa | relocation services israel
