Shaltiel Devorah
Mr. Joshua Pex is knowledgeable and Professional. I really appreciate his courteous and direct approach.
Gáspár Erőss
If you need to solve any complicated legal issue in Israel, don't hesitate to contact them. Otherwise you will loose hours/days/weeks with things that they can solve in minutes. They helped me to obtain my expert working visa in Israel and even after that they responded further questions and gave me advices related to administrative issues in Israel which saved me a lot of time. Irena Rosenberg and Michael Decker worked on my case, they are very professional and helpful. They will not let you down, feel free to contact them.
Priscilla Moses
competent consulting, fast processing, reliable, warm & good team. highly recommended
Kfir Cohen
We were searching for a law firm that will be honest with us and really work hard for a satisfying result, it wasn't an easy task
We found them online; they were the only law firm from all of our searchings which were completely honest and NOT gave us just what we wanted to hear
Using them guaranteed honesty above all. A legal team that is friendly and cares for a superb result
They really care about helping their customers without any other interest
Nadia gave us service behind what we expected; she was professional which lead to fast and easy process with great result
We definitely recommend using them
Dumitrascu Cristina
Best lawyer house from Israel! I couldn’t dealt with my situation without their professionalism and effectiveness. Their dedication to every legal aspect and their drive it’s how a true lawyer house can be!
Working in European market and international now, I couldn’t dare to let myself wide my wings on countries unknown to me. Definitely they’ll be the lawyers representing me, my business at every international aspect and on personal development.
When you hear Decker,Pex,Ofir &Co, you hear 10+ class services, luxurious professionals, confidentiality and exclusive attention to your needs.
Yossi Montrose
Very knowledgeable and professional
Andreas Kelling
We have been working with Decker, Pex Ofir & Co - Law Firm in Tel Aviv for many years very well. Because we appreciated their lawyers services, we recommended businesses and individuals again and again to go there as well.
Schruuf
We were very pleased and content with the services of this law firm. They supported us 100% and solved our case successfully, we couldn't be happier.
YK C
We had a pleasure of working with Irena Rosenberg who assisted in getting our two U.S. born children registered in Israel and supported visa process for my wife in 2021. During the pandemic, my wife and I decided to move to Israel where I am originally from after living in the U.S. for over 20 years, but we had no idea how to go about securing visas before and after arriving in Israel. Irena is knowledgeable, reliable and competent lawyer who always had answers to all our questions which made us feel confident that everything would be fine with her assistance. We are now happily living in Israel and are so grateful to have Irena who is a genuinely nice person as our lawyer.
Eden Weiss
Extrmely friendly, professional and helpful. A big thank you to Irina especially from the Jerusalem office. Highly Recommended.
Amir Abt
The best lawyer firm I’ve had dealt with. I would like to thank Anat Levi and Ariel Galili from the Jerusalem branch for all of their efforts and patience, we could not have been Able to reach to where we are now without them
Arielle Bosch
Incredibly knowledgeable, approachable, accessible, and evident across the board that they truly care about the people they are helping. They are quick to respond, engaged, and obviously top-notch lawyers. I couldn't recommend them highly enough. Thank you, Joshua and Itamar for your help with our Joint Life Application. You were a calming energy during a storm - always breathed a sigh of relief after speaking with you. It is so difficult to get straight answers from the Misrad Hapnim, but you guys are straight shooters. I appreciate your candor and evident integrity. Hope to work with you in the future, and will send everyone I know in need of legal aid your way. Thank you for your guidance and support.
Halvor Ronning
Courteous, clear, efficient service.
Michelle Long
Josh has been helping me on and off for a few years now. I have needed legal advice and assistance with immigration due to a complex situation of mine, and he has been extremely available and responsive, honest and clear about my route and how to proceed. Very much recommended!
Morgan Jones
The team at Decker, Pex, Ofir & Co have been awesome to work with in helping our US company establish banking in Israel and in providing counsel for legal needs in Israel. I highly recommend!
Israel iluz
We were very satisfied with the service of Nehama. She was very professional in all her dealings and kept us informed all the way.
We highly recommend this law firm. They proved to be reliable, efficient and pleasant to work with.
lynn vonne
Excellent service, very friendly and helpful, fast responding and very patient. Highly recommend. I will choose them again next time if needed.
Joshua Pex was both an amazing human being and an inspiring human rights attorney. I reported directly to him for various activities I performed as in intern. I was impressed with his incredibly solid character. He is trustworthy, fair, and goes above and beyond to advocate for the vulnerable. He is completely trustworthy and high caliber in his work. His partners and employees are very blessed to work with him. I am honored to know them.
Heather Lebrun
Jacob Newberry
A really excellent firm. They knew exactly how to handle my situation effectively and efficiently, and we got the result I needed without much fuss. Adi Berger was a wonderful advocate for me and I am deeply grateful for her help!
Paul Prince
The team of lawyers and assistants are incredibly professional. Aiming to give their clients the advice possible regarding the normative and the law of Israel. With well trained and professional secretary at the front desk to the lawyers team, I could say that I had one of the most professional services possible. I'm super glad of choosing Joshua Pex of Law office for immigration solution, lawyers to advise in my case, to me, it is remarkable.
Dongdiet & Nellie
We are very happy with the services. Somehow they managed to translate the law lingo into language we actually understand 😉 and their outstanding YouTube videos helped us to have a better grasp of what process we had to go through. Their patience, clear explanation and experience are very valuable. It's also very nice to know that you will receive response promptly; it made us feel we can really trust their services. We recommend all those looking for immigration lawyers to get in touch.
Michael and Ariellah Waizman
For Advocate Joshua Pex.
We were in a devastating situation when my wife received an order from the immigration office to leave Israel within 30 days, without any explanation, after we have been married and in the process for six and a half years. We heard of Advocate Pex through a friend of a friend. We contacted Mr. Pex and he was ready to help us when he heard of our situation.
The service is amazing! Always ready to assist without regard to the time it takes. The advice Mr. Pex gave us was great, such as what to do, he gave useful links, and advice about which officials to contact. The price for the service was great!
The process until we received the extension for another year for my wife was not long (3 months). Things started moving once Mr. Pex came into the picture.
We highly recommend Advocate Joshua Pex! We achieved our goal and the fear of deportation has been lifted!
Stuart Safft
I am delighted to report that my wife and I have just obtained our Israeli citizenship. We will be forever grateful for all of the help, guidance and support which Ariel Galili of Decker, Pex, Ofir & Co. provided through this process.
I am a Jewish, 80-year-old American, and my wife is not Jewish. We had started the process on our own back in November 2020 via the Jewish Agency and Nefesh B’Nefesh, but soon became entangled in the delays and often-changing regulations due to Covid-19. The pandemic also caused delays in obtaining the required apostilles for various documents from various state agencies and the US State Department.
We found Decker, Pex, Ofir & Co. On the internet and began working with Ariel in late November 2021. Ariel did a superb job of leading us through the process, helping us to understand which documents were essential, which would most likely be required, and which, though included on the list of required documents, were rarely required. He helped us several times to understand what was likely and unlikely to occur as “the next step.” Helping us manage our expectations was extremely useful to us.
Besides his knowing the laws, regulations and procedures, Ariel also made us feel that he was truly interested in helping us to successfully work through this process in as smooth, timely, and frustration-free manner as possible.
My wife and I strongly recommend anyone planning to go through this process seriously consider hiring Decker, Pex, Ofir & Co. and, specifically, Ariel Galili.
Marce Ruth St. Rey
Party time in the heart, my beloved husband received his residence after so much time of battles and faith. Gratitude, God has blessed us with wonderful beings who have accompanied us, including a "precious angel" who touched our hearts, our excellent and fantastic lawyer: Maria Chernin Dekel, sweet and wonderful human being, who has guided us and stayed On our side. side in this intense legal transit whom we bless on every occasion. God bless you dear Maria, you have exceeded your professional duty by containing us and collaborating with us in hard times, very hard, for that we want to thank you publicly, you are unique!!!
We bless and thank the entire team at Decker Pex Tal Ofir Law Firm.
Alexander P Gutterman
EU PASSPORT ! Big news! Thanks to Michael Decker and the other good people at the law office, as well as to the virtue of my ancestors, the cruelty of the Inquisition, reparations issued in the Iberian Peninsula, and etc, I am delighted to be on track for Portuguese and European Union Citizenship! A truly incredible development and one which brings me deep joy.
Greg Olson
We highly recommend Adv. Mike Decker and have know him for many years. He has helped our family with many battles over the years. We recently received our permanent residency after 23 years in Israel. We so much appreciate Mike’s representation of us.
Prima Lorenzo
I admire the Austrian citizenship team in Tel-Aviv branch! They deserve more then 5 stars!! They are very friendly and professional. I've got Austrian citizenship in 4 months for all family members which consists of 12 people! The entire team is very friendly and responsive. They are always answering questions and support during the process. I recommend to everyone. Was 100% satisfied.
Sophie Cooperman
Oded Ger did an excellent job by reviewing a modeling contract I was offered. Explained the bad clauses in the contract, and their possible consequences. Thank you for your amazing job, your professionalism, your consultation and honesty. You showed me from your experience how it can be done differently. It was the best decision choosing you as my lawyer.
I highly recommend this firm, especially Oded Ger.
TarcisioePotira Freitas
I really recommend the law office's services. The service is very professional and efficient, the price is right. I am satisfied with the services I needed and happy to have known them.
Lilian Granovsky
I can highly recommend these services!
Every time we turned to Joshua we always got a professional quick and helpful respond.
Matthias Oppliger
I have been receiving services from this Law Firm for several years now and I want to say THANK YOU to the team, especially Joshua Pex. They are doing outstanding work. The services I have received for both our Israeli non profit association but also our social business have helped us solve many issues at hand and provided solutions in complicated situations. Personally, I am grateful for support in visa issues as a foreigner living now in Israel for many years.
This article is part of a series of articles about the various aspects of arranging the legal status of foreign spouses in Israel. Due to our firm’s extensive experience in the field and the many couples whom we have helped with these procedures, we have a strong understanding of the types of cases in which requests for legal status tend to be refused at the outset. In this article, lawyer Michael Decker, who specializes in immigration to Israel, explains about cases in which the Ministry of interior denied status for foreign spouses of Israelis, and what may be done when this happens.
Our law firm, which has branches in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, specializes in immigration to Israel. We have extensive experience in assisting couples throughout the process of arranging the legal status of the foreign spouse, and in representing them before the Ministry of Interior and the courts after a denial of an application for legal status in Israel.
How to File a Joint-Life Application and Arrange Legal Status
Many Israelis today live with foreign spouses, who arrive from all over the world. What is common to all these cases is that, to live together in Israel, the legal status of the foreign spouse must be arranged via the Ministry of Interior. When arranging a spouse’s legal status in Israel, the procedure either follows the regulations for married couples or for couples in a common-law marriage.
The first step in arranging a spouse’s legal status is to file an application at the Ministry of Interior. At this stage, the couple must present various documents and undergo an interview regarding their relationship. The Entry into Israel Law grants the Interior Minister and the Population and Immigration Authority officials broad discretion to decide who will be allowed to immigrate to Israel and become an Israeli citizen at the end of a graduated procedure. Accordingly, many couples face a refusal of an application for legal status. Below we present types of cases that, from our experience, are highly likely to be refused.
Problems in Obtaining All the Required Documents
You may be surprised to hear this, but many couples have trouble obtaining and submitting the required documents to the Ministry of Interior when filing the application. The main difficulty is usually encountered in obtaining the required documents from abroad, since obtaining the Israeli documents is simpler. Sometimes there is a real difficulty in obtaining the required documents from the foreign spouse’s country. However, sometimes the bureaucratic requirements to apostilize the documents and send them to a notary public for translation before submitting them are too much of a burden, and the couple decides to give up on their dream to live together in Israel. The professional assistance of a lawyer may help the couple to obtain all the documents and submit them in an orderly manner to the Interior Ministry officials.
Doubts About the Sincerity of the Relationship
The main reason that family-unification and joint-life applications are denied by the Ministry of Interior is the Ministry’s impression that the relationship is “insincere” (fictitious). This impression is based on a series of interviews that the couple undergoes at the Ministry of Interior offices, in which they are asked about various areas of their life such as common habits, extended family, and so on. The Interior Ministry representatives try to ensure as best they can that the relationship was not created for the sole purpose of naturalization.
There are many causes that create the impression that the couple’s relationship is insincere. This is common, for example, when the spouses are asylum seekers or nursing workers whose stay in Israel is limited in some way by the Ministry of Interior. Age differences between the spouses may also be a warning sign for the Ministry officials. As we explained in another article on our website, the relationship-sincerity interview is a crucial stage in the process of obtaining legal status, and you should come to it well prepared.
Criminal or Security Concerns
The State of Israel is wary of allowing citizens to enter who may pose a danger to public safety. Therefore, foreign spouses are required to present a criminal record certificate. If the foreign spouse has a criminal history, this may lead, in many cases, to refusal of their request for legal status. However, you should know that the types of offenses on the criminal record are examined in depth, as well as the time that has passed since they were committed. In addition, the criminal history of the Israeli spouse may also lead to refusal of the application. The issue of a security criminal history arises in cases of foreign spouses from Arab countries, as well as Palestinian spouses. A criminal history of the invited spouse which is related to security concerns is obviously a big problem which is not easily surmounted. However, each case is examined on its own merits, and the security authorities may be wrong in deeming someone a danger to public security. Remember that there exist various ways to appeal the decision of denial of a request for legal status, which are explained in another article on our website.
Refusal of Requests Made by Individuals Who Have Been Refused Entry Into Israel
In cases where there is concern that the foreign citizen will settle in Israel, they will be refused application for legal status. When the entry of the foreign spouse to Israel has already been denied in the past, this may have consequences concerning the ability to arrange their legal status, such as often occurs when attempting to arrange the legal status of foreign spouses from the former Soviet Union. Over the past years, citizens from there have requested asylum in Israel, which raised the concern that allowing them to come may create unwanted labor immigration; therefore, many requests were refused. In such cases, it is important for the couple to avoid any action without first thoroughly checking what their legal rights are. Illegally staying in Israel, or being denied entry into Israel, does not mean that the couple will not be able to live there together; however, such situations certainly do make it difficult to file an application and arrange the legal status of the foreign spouse via the Ministry of Interior.
Contact a Lawyer Who Specializes in Immigration to Israel
The above cases are main examples of when a couple may face denial of a request for legal status for a significant other or when arranging the legal status of a foreign spouse in Israel. Legal advice and assistance by an experienced expert lawyer may help maximize the possibility that the application will be approved. Our law firm has extensive experience in representing couples in the process of arranging legal status. You are welcome to contact us via the phone numbers or email address listed below, and we will be happy to assist you in any matter.
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Arranging the Legal Status of the Minor Foreign Children of Spouses of Israelis