Наталья Мажуга
Great lawyers Joshua Pex and Nechama and Michael Deker who really want to help you and I have very trustful relationships with them. All my cases they took they won. Thank you and let’s keep working together
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.
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.
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.
Sveta Vashkevich
We (myself and my husband) came to Mr. Joshua Pex – for his professional advice – and we received such human warmth and caring attitude, that our hearts melted …
His attention to our details and our situation peculiarities, combined with his professionalism and knowledge, helped us to map out what needs to be done on our part: we appreciate and recommend You, Mr. Joshua!
Lilian Granovsky
I can highly recommend these services!
Every time we turned to Joshua we always got a professional quick and helpful respond.
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!
Eden Weiss
Extrmely friendly, professional and helpful. A big thank you to Irina especially from the Jerusalem office. Highly Recommended.
Morgan Jones
The team at Decker, Pex & 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!
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.
Yossi Montrose
Very knowledgeable and professional
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!
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.
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 & 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 & 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.
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.
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.
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
Andreas Kelling
We have been working with Decker, Pex & 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.
Priscilla Moses
competent consulting, fast processing, reliable, warm & good team. highly recommended
Sergei m Vashkevich
We came to Mr. Joshua with so many questions (and most of all, with so many concerns and worries) …
When we explained our case to him, first of all, he calmed us down and helped us to see the big picture, which took away our fears;
Then he presented us with a detailed explanation and a few options to explore, and a timeline, how things work and necessary steps to undertake on our part,
We thank and highly recommend Mr. Joshua for showing us so much empathy, care and professionalism (!)
lynn vonne
Excellent service, very friendly and helpful, fast responding and very patient. Highly recommend. I will choose them again next time if needed.
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.
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.
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!
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
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.
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.
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
Halvor Ronning
Courteous, clear, efficient service.
Genaan Abdelall
I cannot recommend Nechama enough! Her expertise, professionalism, and dedication to her clients is unparalleled. From the moment I reached out to her, she provided clear and concise communication, and helped me navigate through a complex legal issue with ease.
Throughout the entire process, Nechama went above and beyond to ensure that I was informed and comfortable with every decision. She demonstrated a deep knowledge of the law, and was able to offer sound advice that ultimately led to a positive outcome.
What sets Nechama apart is her compassionate and empathetic approach to her clients. She truly cares about the well-being of her clients, and it shows in the way she handles every case.
If you are in need of a lawyer, I highly recommend Nechama.
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.
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.
Shaltiel Devorah
Mr. Joshua Pex is knowledgeable and Professional. I really appreciate his courteous and direct approach.
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.
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.
The State of Israel does not support foreigners coming to Israel to work in jobs that could have been filled by local workers. However, the state permits the employment of foreigners with exceptional professional skill or education when they are necessary for various companies in the Israeli economy. A foreign worker’s visa is issued for a limited period each time, with the expectation that they will finish their work in Israel and leave the country to return to their home abroad. Yet a foreign worker can work in Israel for up to 5 years, and even more in exceptional cases, if the employer in Israel applies and the Ministry of Interior agrees to extending the foreign expert’s employment permit.
Our office deals with the process of obtaining and extending work permits for foreigners in Israel. In this article, attorney Joshua Pex will explain the procedure that an expert foreign worker already residing in Israel must go through in order to extend their residence visa.
Who is considered an expert foreign worker?
As of the end of 2022, there were 108,516 legal foreign workers residing in Israel, including 6,457 expert workers. The latter are foreign workers who have a unique expertise that is not available in Israel, and they reside in Israel under a B/1 specialist work permit.
Expert workers have education, knowledge or talent that gives them a unique expertise in their field, which is difficult or impossible to find in the Israeli labor market. Many of the foreign experts are engaged in development and management positions, and most of them have some level of academic education and/or extensive professional experience before arriving in Israel. Specialist workers may be researchers, workers in the medical industry, diamond dealers, foreign artists, workers in the high-tech field, representatives of a foreign military, chefs, and more.
In order to obtain a B/1 expert work permit, the employer must obtain an employment permit from the permit division of the Directorate of Service for Employers and Foreign Workers, and issue a B/1 expert work permit together with a description of the profession approved for employment. This must all be done even before the worker arrives in Israel.
The permit is only issued for a restricted period of time, but if the employer sees fit, they can apply to extend the foreign worker’s stay for additional years. To obtain this extension, the employing company will have to meet a number of requirements, presented in detail below, along with supplying the other documents necessary to extend the work permit.
What happens after the expert worker arrives in Israel?
A work permit approved for the first time will be valid for two years for a foreign worker specializing in a specific field, and for only one year if it is a field that does not require prior academic education.
In addition, the Population and Immigration Authority is entitled to cancel the permit given to an expert foreign worker and the employer if something unusual is found in the employee’s data, for example non-compliance with the procedures or conditions of the permit or the provision of partial or false information, or if a public authority has issued a reasoned recommendation to cancel the permit.
Is it possible to extend a B/1 expert work permit?
Yes. The work permit can be extended for maximum periods provided that the cumulative period of the worker’s stay in Israel does not exceed 63 months of work, except in unusual cases which will be detailed later. The application procedure includes several steps which we will explain in the following paragraphs.
How do you apply for extending a foreign expert’s employment permit?
The application to extend a B/1 specialist work permit is submitted for the first time by the employer to the permit division of the Directorate of Service for Employers and Foreign Workers, up to 60 days before the expiration of the current work visa.
The extension application for extending the foreign expert’s employment permit must be submitted with the following documents attached:
- Application to extend a work permit for a foreign worker
- The company’s registration certificate
- A certified copy of the 102 forms submitted to the National Insurance Institute for Israeli workers.
- Confirmation by an accountant that the company employing the worker is an active entity and that no comment regarding a going concern was registered against it in the last year.
- A letter explaining why the foreign expert’s expertise is necessary, with documents and letters of recommendation supporting the request. It is advisable to consult with an attorney who specializes in immigration to Israel to update and polish the letter in accordance with the legal requirements.
- Payment of a fee.
- In applications for the extension of an existing permit for a foreign expert, under “specialist fees” an Appendix C, a special report by the accountant, must be attached.
- When the application is submitted by a foreign company without a branch in Israel – a legal power of attorney must be attached, authorizing the applicant to handle the application on behalf of the employer.
It is recommended to save the reference number received after submitting the application for the purpose of identification and tracking the status of the application.
Is it possible to extend the work permit beyond 63 month?
As a rule, the answer is no. However, if the employer does wish to extend the foreign worker’s stay in Israel beyond the 63 months stated in the regulations, they will have to submit a special request to the permit department at least six months before the permit expires.
The employer must attach to the application proofs regarding the foreign specialist’s unique contribution to the economy, market, culture, sports or society.
Approval of the application requires consultation with the Minister of Finance and the approval of the Minister of Economy and Industry. If the extension is approved, the expert’s visa may be extended for limited periods beyond the aforementioned 63 months.
If the employer does not submit the application for the special extension by the appointed date, the worker will have to leave the country when the work permit expires. Continuing to stay in Israel, or returning to it, after the last work permit has expired is possible only when the special request has been approved.
It is important to note that if the special request is not submitted within 6 months before the expiration of the foreign expert’s permit, the worker will have to leave Israel upon the expiration of their permit and will only be allowed to return if the special request for an extension of the residence period is approved.
After the work permit expires, foreign workers are generally prevented from returning to Israel.
How can I maximize the chances of a foreign employee in my company continuing to reside in Israel?
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Employment permit for an expert foreign worker in Israel