Since May 2019, US citizens have got the opportunity to reside permanently in Israel to manage their businesses. The Government of Israel has introduced a business visa for Americans willing to invest in our country. The United States authorities, in turn, provided the same opportunity to Israeli citizens.
B/5 – Israeli visa for foreign investors
At present, a business visa for living and working in Israel can only be obtained by US citizens who already do business in our country or are only planning to start it. To date, the minimum investment amount has not been established for US citizens. A sufficient amount of investment to obtain a business visa will be determined individually based on the scope of business development, the number of new workplaces provided, and other indicators.
An all-important perk! The adopted procedure allows moving temporarily to Israel not only to the investor himself but also to key employees, as well as members of their families. Spouses of investors or foreign workers also have the right to employment in Israel, including in Israeli firms.
General requirements for investor and investment to obtain a business visa to Israel:
- An American investor can develop business in Israel only at his own expense;
- If one of the business owners applies for a business visa, the share of the applicant must be at least 50%;
- It is necessary to argue the feasibility of investments for the Israeli market, as well as the profitability of the business project as a whole;
- If the investor plans to invite foreign employees, his business should be profitable enough to provide for all the attracted expats and their families;
- A foreign business should contribute to the development of the economy of our country, through new technologies, jobs, etc.
The procedure for obtaining a business visa for American investors
An application for a business visa is submitted for consideration to a special interagency committee, which includes representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Population and Immigration Authority, the Ministry of Economy, the Ministry of Finance, and other government bodies. The decision to issue a visa is made by the Israeli Ministry of Interior based on the recommendations of the interagency committee.
In the application, a foreign investor must reasonably state at least the following basic points:
- The expediency of investments in this sector of the economy, prospects for project profitability,
- Your expertise in the selected industry,
- Prove the availability of sufficient funds, as well as provide information on their origin.
In general, the application may comprise hundreds of pages, contain dozens of special legal documents, references, and certificates. Besides, both the special commission and the Israeli Ministry of Interior can request from a potential investor any information that, according to government agencies, will be necessary to decide on the issue of a business visa.
As our practice shows, an American investor cannot manage without an Israeli lawyer’s support with good experience and lots of successful cases in various fields.
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