The question of how to leave for permanent residence in Israel is asked by every Jew. But they were lucky - people of Jewish nationality have the right to a simplified procedure for moving to the Promised Land. However, non-Jews can also move to Israel for permanent residence, because permanent resident status (permanent residence) does not imply the mandatory acquisition of an Israeli passport. For them, the law provides for several official ways for immigration.
Pros of Israeli permanent residence
Let's immediately consider the pros and cons of permanent residence in Israel. Thus, the status of a permanent resident of Israel (תושב קבע) is assigned to all persons whose "center of life" is located on Israeli territory. These are not necessarily Jews - permanent residents can be any foreigners who, in accordance with Art. 2 of the Law "On Entry into Israel" of 1952 (חוק הכניסה לישראל) received a permanent residence visa.
The rights under the status of a permanent resident of Israel practically do not differ from the rights guaranteed to citizens. Permanent residents also have the right to live in Israel for an unlimited amount of time, work, use medical care and social benefits (pensions, social benefits and benefits) that are guaranteed to citizens. They can even vote in municipal elections.
But before deciding whether to go to Israel for permanent residence, consider the disadvantages of permanent resident status:
- in case of residence abroad, the permanent resident status is canceled;
- the owner of permanent residence is not entitled to vote for the Knesset;
- children of permanent residents do not automatically receive permanent residence upon birth;
- in the case of marriage with a non-resident, certain threshold requirements must be met for family reunification.
Requirements for obtaining permanent resident status
The Israeli legal system can surprise any Russian lawyer with its metamorphoses. The fact is that Israeli law does not contain uniform criteria and conditions, observing which you can get a visa for permanent residence in Israel.
- The first feature is that only the Minister of Internal Affairs and the organs of the Ministry of Internal Affairs under his control are vested with the authority to issue a permanent residence permit - only they can issue a residence permit.
- The second feature is that the right to permanent residence in each individual case provides for the fulfillment of different requirements and conditions.
For example, repatriates can receive permanent resident status immediately upon arrival in the country, only by proving their Jewish origin.
For family members of Israeli citizens, the conditions are much tougher: in order to move to Israel for permanent residence without Jewish roots, they need to live at least four years in the status of a temporary resident, which must be renewed annually. In addition, you will need to know Hebrew at the proper level.
In general, the main condition for obtaining permanent residence for any category of foreigners is long-term residence on a long-term temporary residence visa.
But since the overwhelming majority of immigrants have Jewish roots, moving to live in Israel as a non-Jew is a huge challenge. In any case, such a desire should be conditioned by the intentions to settle in the country, and therefore the main routes of immigration, not related to repatriation programs, involve either family ties with local citizens or seeking asylum.
The main ways of immigration
Israel is a country preaching democratic values, therefore there is no age, language or other qualification for moving: emigration to Israel from Russia is available to a pensioner in the same way as a Ukrainian teenager or a middle-aged Italian citizen. At the same time, experience shows that immigration is much easier for persons of Jewish nationality.
Let's take a closer look at the most common ways of immigration to Israel.
Repatriation by Jewish roots
The main regulation that regulates repatriation is the Law on Return (חוק השבות). According to its standards, repatriation in Israel (return to the homeland of ancestors) is available to all Jews who, within the meaning of the law, have Jewish roots, that is, are halachic Jews on the maternal side (from a Jewish mother or grandmother).
Many repatriation programs are available for them, providing comprehensive assistance from the state, ranging from a free ticket to Israel and ending with temporary housing, financial assistance and professional adaptation.
The key right of Jews is Israeli citizenship. An Israeli passport is issued to them immediately upon arrival, even at the airport. Instead of a passport, they can get permanent residence in Israel based on Jewish roots.
Permanent resident status is usually requested by Jews - immigrants from a state whose legislation prohibits dual citizenship (for example, from Ukraine).
To participate in the repatriation program, immigrants must prove their Jewish roots by providing a birth certificate indicating the Jewish nationality of the mother or grandmother (or other documents), as well as a certificate of kinship with a Jewish relative.
Family reunification
Family reunification in Israel implies the right of family members of Israeli citizens and permanent residents to relocate to the country. This right applies to foreign spouses and children (including the children of the spouses), as well as the elderly parents of Israelis.
As such, there is no special family reunification program in Israel, and something similar is provided only for spouses. At the same time, the possibility of immigration is provided for by specialized regulatory legal acts. For example, in the case of repatriation, the Law on Return also gives children, grandchildren, spouses and even the spouses of children the right to leave for Israel.
Family reunification is allowed on humanitarian grounds. To this end, the Ministry of Internal Affairs has launched a number of directives, one of which is “Elderly single parent”. In accordance with it, an Israeli residence permit can be issued to a single parent of an Israeli citizen, if such a parent needs daily help. Parents over 65 years old (for women) and 67 years old (for men) can move to Israel for permanent residence.
Obtaining refugee status
Israel is a signatory to the UN Convention relating to the Status of Refugees, therefore, anyone who is exposed to a justifiable threat of persecution for religious, linguistic, ethnic, national, political or other reasons, and at the same time cannot receive protection from the state of nationality, has the right to seek asylum in the country. Refugees in Israel receive asylum on the basis of the “Procedure for dealing with asylum seekers” (נוהל הטיפול במבקשי מקלט מדיני בישראל).
The procedure established in the country assumes that a foreigner seeking asylum can apply for refugee status when crossing the Israeli border or within a year from the moment of entry. After that, he will have to be fingerprinted, take a photo, go through several interviews and wait until a decision is made within several months.
If it turns out to be positive and the reasons for moving to Israel in the form of a threat of persecution are confirmed, the foreigner will receive refugee status, which equates him to a temporary resident. Subsequently, on this basis, he will be able to issue permanent residence.
Marriage with an Israeli citizen
In accordance with Art. 7 of the Citizenship Law (חוק האזרחות), a marriage contracted by a foreigner with an Israeli is the basis for granting a foreign spouse an Israeli indigenous.
Marriage to an Israeli citizen, however, does not give the right to automatic citizenship.The spouses will have to go through a lengthy bureaucratic procedure, which, according to the most conservative estimates, will take at least 4.5 years. This is the so-called step-by-step procedure of family unification, during which the internal affairs bodies will have to make sure that the entered marriage is not fictitious, regardless of the place of its conclusion.
Below we will take a step-by-step look at how the move to permanent residence in Israel for the spouses of Israelis in 2021 is going on:
- Obtaining a B1 visa with the right to work.
- After 6 months - an interview and a temporary residence permit.
- Annual extension of the residence permit, as it is valid for only 12 months.
- After 4 years of residence as a temporary resident - submission of documents for permanent residence.
- After obtaining permanent resident status, you can apply for citizenship.
Conversion to Judaism
In accordance with the Law "On Return", persons who have undergone conversion are recognized as Jews on an equal basis with persons with Jewish roots. They also use the move to Israel for Jewish repatriation.
Conversion is a procedure for accepting Judaism through religious structures, including outside Israel. It is impossible to accept Judaism without communication with a supportive rabbi, who will teach the future Jew and instruct him in every possible way.
He, like his friends who observe the Torah and its commandments, will have to give the Chief Rabbinate in the Russian Federation recommendations about a person who wants to undergo conversion.
The process involves several stages:
- Opening a personal file, at which an interview is conducted with the candidate and, if necessary, an examination on knowledge of the Torah and observance of its commandments.
- Interim observation is the second meeting, recommended by a fellow rabbi.
- Session of the rabbinical court, where 3 rabbis examine the applicant. A year after conversion, he receives a certificate confirming his entry into Judaism.
A package of documents for moving to Israel for permanent residence
What documents are needed to move to Israel for permanent residence depends on the basis on which the foreigner plans to move. If it is repatriation, the applicant will need:
- documents confirming Jewish roots, including birth certificates, birth certificates of parents, grandparents, marriage certificates of parents, grandparents, extracts from archives and house books, documents from a rabbi, and so on;
- documents on the current marital status, including certificates of birth / marriage / divorce / death of a spouse;
- application form;
- all available passports (the remaining validity period of the passport must exceed 6 months);
- documents confirming your stay in Israel (if you have and undergo training programs, internships or stay for other reasons), a list of visits and their duration;
- educational documents (school certificate, university diploma);
- labor documents (work book);
- police clearance certificate;
- identification of close relatives who are Israeli citizens;
- 1 color photo 3x4 cm.
If the move is related to marriage, the list of documents for permanent residence in Israel (to receive an invitation) will include:
- Israeli spouse's passport;
- a photocopy of the foreign passport of the foreign spouse;
- police clearance certificate;
- two declarations, certified in court or by a lawyer, on the veracity of the data reported to the Ministry of Internal Affairs and on the state of health of the spouse;
- Marriage certificate;
- 3 passport photos for each of the spouses.
If the program of departure to Israel with further permanent residence provides for the relocation of children or elderly parents, you will also need:
- birth certificates or other documents confirming relationship;
- documents about the parents' illness, in connection with which they need care;
- documents confirming the absence of other children.
When applying for asylum, it is recommended that you have documentary evidence of persecution in your home country.
Ultimately, to apply for permanent resident status, you will need:
- application;
- 2 photos 35x45 mm;
- documents from a government agency confirming the existence of a "center of life" in Israel in the name of the applicant, for example, a contract for the sale or rent of housing, invoices for payment of utilities or municipal taxes, a certificate from work, a certificate of registration of children at school.
Where to apply for permanent residence
The answer to the question of where to apply for permanent residence also depends on the grounds for obtaining it. For example, repatriates must submit a preliminary request for repatriation to the embassy at their place of permanent residence. If it is the Russian Federation - for example, to the Israeli Embassy in Moscow, if Ukraine - to the Israeli Embassy in Kiev, and so on.
After receiving the application, the applicants will be interviewed, all the circumstances will be examined, after which they will be offered to leave for permanent residence from Russia to Israel from Belarus or another country.
In other cases, the departure procedure will also begin with the embassy, but the main task will not be to obtain approval for repatriation, but to issue an entry visa for temporary stay. It is also issued by an embassy or consulate, and only on its basis can you enter the country.
Subsequently, when, after a long stay, the right to permanent residence in Israel for Russians arises, for its registration it is necessary to apply to the internal affairs bodies: in accordance with Art. 2 of the Law "On Entry", the powers to obtain a permanent residence permit are under the exclusive jurisdiction of the head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
Terms and cost of considering an application for permanent residence
The terms of consideration are individual in each case. For example, for repatriates who decide to leave for permanent residence from Ukraine to Israel, the processing time of the application by the embassy is usually about three months. In the same period, applications for entry visas are considered.
In the case of submission of documents for permanent resident status to the Ministry of Internal Affairs directly on Israeli territory, the consideration period is also individual in each case and can range from 3 months to six months or more. During this time, employees of the Ministry of Internal Affairs conduct an interview with the applicant.
If the status is related to marriage, the interview is conducted with both spouses.
For repatriates, entry visas and permanent residence / citizenship are issued free of charge. For the rest, the cost of registration of permanent residence in Israel on its territory is 170 shekels. You can pay for the receipt at the same time as submitting the application, including by credit card or check.
Is it possible to track the status of the application
The procedure for considering the application by the security authorities is a long process that will take more than one or even two months. Obviously, citizens are interested in the ability to track the status of the application review online. Unfortunately, there is no such procedure.
If permanent residence for Russians in Israel is approved, the applicant will receive a written notification with the results, after which he can appear at the department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, sign the declaration and receive an identity card of the resident of Israel. In any case, information on the results of the consideration can also be requested by telephone or by personal contact.
Can the status be denied
The Israeli Ministry of Internal Affairs does not always allow to leave for permanent residence from Ukraine to Israel, as well as from other countries, denying the status of a permanent resident and leaving applicants with a temporary residence permit.
The reason for the refusal is usually:
- the presence of an outstanding criminal record;
- submission of forged documents;
- suspicion of a fictitious marriage;
- lack of evidence or doubt that Israel is the “center of life” of the applicant;
- long absence from Israeli territory;
- lack of grounds for issuing a permanent residence permit.
In any case, the refusal to obtain permanent residence in Israel must be motivated in writing and communicated to the applicant.
If the refusal is not reasoned or is based on an error, the applicant has the right to appeal it directly to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Israeli Court of Appeal or the High Court of Justice, depending on the situation.
There are few precedents of positive decisions in the courts, but this is the only instrument to protect the violated rights of immigrants.
Obtaining citizenship
For non-Jews, the main way to obtain citizenship in Israel is by naturalization (התאזרחות). To do this, they must comply with a number of prerequisites:
- being in Israel at the time of application;
- stay in Israel for the last three years out of the five years preceding the filing of the application;
- the presence of a permanent residence permit issued no earlier than 4.5 years from the date of entry into the country;
- knowledge of Hebrew at a sufficient level (level of preparation in the ulpan);
- intention to reside permanently in the country;
- refusal of the existing passport.
Along with this, the law provides for a number of categories of applicants who are able to leave to live in Israel without fulfilling the specified conditions, including: persons who served in the Israeli army, children of army soldiers who died in the service, and some others.
In addition, on the recommendation of the head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, some candidates may be fully or partially exempted from fulfilling these conditions.
Conclusion
The status of a permanent resident in Israel (permanent residence) has a number of similarities with the status of a citizen, therefore many choose it instead of citizenship. Both repatriates and other immigrants who come to Israel for family reunification or marriage can obtain permanent residence. The main condition is long-term residence (at least 4-6 years) with the status of a temporary resident, as well as evidence that Israel is the “center of life” of the applicant.
