By Amit Acco, Partner |
The Ministry of Interior has presented its current policy (August 2022) in relation to entry and stay of Ukraine nationals in Israel:
From August 1, 2022, until August 31, 2022, no enforcement actions will be carried out against employers in accordance with the Law on Foreign Workers, 1991-55, for Ukrainian national’s employment, subject to the following compliance conditions:
1.1 Presentation of an original Ukrainian passport.
2.1 Staying in Israel for over 90 days.
2. To the extent that a decision is made by the Minister of the Interior to extend the policy of non-enforcement beyond the date specified above, employers must prepare for the fact that starting on October 1, 2022, citizens of Ukraine will not be allowed to work in the following cities/areas
- Tel Aviv district (Or Yehuda, Bnei Brak, Bat Yam, Givatayim, Herzliya, Holon, Kiryat Ono, Ramat Gan, Ramat Hasharon, Tel Aviv-Jaffa and local councils, the area and Kfar Shmarihu),
- Eilat,
- Jerusalem,
- Netanya,
- Ashdod and
- Petah Tikva
Unless they are employed in the following industries: construction, agriculture, institutional nursing and hotels. It should be noted, for the sake of clarity, that even as of October 1, 2022, citizens of Ukraine staying in Israel are required to meet the 2 cumulative conditions specified in section 1.
3. For the avoidance of doubt, it will be clarified that the employer has the duty to check that the foreigner to whom this policy applies meets the conditions detailed above. This does not detract from the other duties applicable to the employer of a foreign worker, in accordance with the Law on Foreign Workers, 1991-55.
4. As for the citizens of Ukraine who legally stayed in Israel on February 24, 2022 or who entered Israel legally after the start of the war and hold a type B/2 (tourist) visit permit, the visa in their possession will be extended until August 31, 2022, when it will be clarified that the conditions as detailed above will also apply to a group this.
5. The minister’s policy will be reviewed at the end of the period.