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
lynn vonne
Excellent service, very friendly and helpful, fast responding and very patient. Highly recommend. I will choose them again next time if needed.
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.
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
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.
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!
Halvor Ronning
Courteous, clear, efficient service.
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!
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!
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.
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.
Lilian Granovsky
I can highly recommend these services!
Every time we turned to Joshua we always got a professional quick and helpful respond.
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.
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.
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 (!)
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.
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
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!
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.
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.
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.
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.
Shaltiel Devorah
Mr. Joshua Pex is knowledgeable and Professional. I really appreciate his courteous and direct approach.
Yossi Montrose
Very knowledgeable and professional
Eden Weiss
Extrmely friendly, professional and helpful. A big thank you to Irina especially from the Jerusalem office. Highly Recommended.
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.
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!
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.
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.
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.
Priscilla Moses
competent consulting, fast processing, reliable, warm & good team. highly recommended
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
What to do if you were deported from Israel?
How to to appeal a refusal of entry to Israel? Our law office specializes in immigration and entry into Israel, so we are often asked this question. There are a number of articles on our website that are designed to help visitors enter Israel without being denied entry and deported. Still, no one has a guarantee that their entry into Israel won’t be denied due to a border control officer’s suspicions. In such a case, you’ll be deported from Israel, and automatically banned from entry in the future, usually for a period of ten (10) years.
What right does border control have to refuse entry to visitors, what are the repercussions of refusal of entry, and how can you appeal or shorten the duration of prohibition on future entry? In this article, attorney Michael Decker, an Israeli immigration lawyer, will explain how to appeal a refusal of entry to Israel.
What right does border control have to deport people without any proof?
Both international laws and Israeli law determines that every sovereign state has the right to approve or refuse entry into its territory to whomever it deems appropriate, even without necessarily establishing objective criteria for refusing entry. According to the Entry into Israel Law, the Minister of the Interior and his representatives (including Border Control officers) have the right to investigate, arrest, and deport visitors who are not residents or citizens of Israel.
According to regulations, refusal of entry should be based on “reasonable suspicion”. But suspicion is a subjective concept, based on visitor’s documents, behavior, and overall impression. The border control officer doesn’t have to conclusively demonstrate the denial is reasonable before deporting the visitor. At best, the visitor may request the Border Control justify the reasoning behind the decision by appealing to an Israeli court. The problem is that the Court of Appeals on immigration to Israel tends to interpret “reasonable suspicion” very broadly, and to side with the immigration authorities. Claiming that the border control officials did not prove that their suspicions are well founded, usually will not lead to an appeal being successful. An appeal against refusal of entry on this basis will only succeed if the visitor can prove that the decision was made on the basis of erroneous information, or was extremely and exceptionally unreasonable.
But I wasn’t even told why I’m being deported!
According to the regulations, once the visitor is refused entry into Israel, they are to be given a deportation order which states the reason for the refusal. But in practice, the deportation order is often only received after the fact, when the visitor’s advocate formally requests a copy in order to appeal against a refusal of entry to Israel. If you have already been deported from Israel, you can obtain a copy of the order by having your advocate contact the Freedom of Information Department at the Border Control headquarters in Jerusalem.
However, in most cases the reason for deportation can be easily inferred without reviewing the deportation order. The vast majority of citizens of the former Soviet Union and Eastern Europe who are denied entry to Israel are refused due to the fear that they plan to work or settle in Israel illegally. Visitors from Muslim countries with relatives in the Palestinian Authority or the Gaza strip, and activists in organizations that support Palestinians who are denied entry, are generally refused on the basis of concern for the security of the State of Israel. In addition, many visitors are refused entry because they come to visit spouses or relatives, but have not arranged their entry in advance according to the procedures of the Ministry of the Interior.
I’ve been told by border control clerks that I’m not being deported, but simply refused entry.
There may be a difference for the internal bureaucracy of the Ministry of the Interior, but in practice, refusal of entry into Israel and deportation are one and the same. In either case, the visitor is not allowed to visit Israel in the future.
Theoretically, the automatic future prohibition of entry is limited to a number of years (10 by default). But in practice, in every future visit to Israel, the visitor may be refused entry once again due to “reasonable suspicion” based on the previous refusal of entry. The procedure for appealing the prohibition on entry into Israel is also the same both for refusal of entry and deportation.
Would it be possible to get help from an Israeli consulate / embassy in the country of origin?
Every year, thousands of Russian, Ukrainian, Romanian and Georgian citizens are deported from Israel. The Israeli embassies in these countries do not have the time or the manpower to process the appeals of even a tiny percentage of all refusals of entry into Israel.
In theory, the Interior Ministry’s department at an embassy in Western European countries (for example) may be able to help determine the reason for the refusal of entry and assist in the process of removing or shortening the future restriction on entry into Israel. However, those refused entry to Israel will usually need assistance from an attorney or relative / friend who is in Israel and files an appeal / invitation to enter Israel with the Ministry of the Interior.
Is there a simple, quick and convenient way to appeal a refusal of entry into Israel?
Unfortunately, the Israeli bureaucracy does not believe in simple solutions in general, and specifically in these cases. Removal of a “ban” based on refusal of entry into Israel is a complicated process. Even in the simplest case imaginable – the system confused the visitor with a person of the same name whose entry is forbidden, and “all” that is required is to bring proof that the two are not the same person – the process of canceling the prohibition of entry is long and complicated.
The Border Control Department has to make decisions that balance the state’s interest in preserving the security of its borders and the interest in allowing freedom of tourism and entry of tourists into Israel. On the one hand, there is an injury caused to the visitor due to the refusal of entry into Israel, on the other hand, the possible damage to Israel’s economy or security, to the extent that the Border Control Officer fears that they will be proven correct in their suspicions. Therefore, a visitor wishing to appeal a refusal of entry into Israel must invest time and effort in a long process that is intended to prove to the immigration authorities that they do not wish to harm the State of Israel – to settle or work in Israel illegally, or to harm the Israeli public.
What does a lawyer actually do to appeal a refusal of entry to Israel?
After a consultation call clarifying the details of the case, during which the lawyer and the client will jointly decide on the action plan, and what are the chances to appeal a refusal of entry to Israel, the client will be required to sign a power of attorney. The power of attorney must be authenticated at an Israeli consulate abroad or by an Apostille stamp. Without a duly signed and validated power of attorney, the lawyer is unable to represent the client with Israeli authorities.
After receiving the power of attorney, the lawyer addresses the Department of Freedom of Information at the Population and Immigration Authority in order to request the protocol of the interview at Ben-Gurion Airport. These documents contain important information that helps the lawyer find out the reason for the deportation and how to appeal a refusal of entry to Israel in this case.
The next step is to prepare a request to remove the prohibition and permit entry into Israel. The lawyer and the client decide whether to contact the head of the Border Control Department or to find an Israeli friend or family member who submit a properly written invitation for the visitor to enter Israel at the office of the Ministry of the Interior closest to the place of residence of the Israeli. It is important to take into account that it is likely that the Israeli citizen inviting the foreign visitor will be asked to deposit a bank guarantee in favor of the Ministry of the Interior, before the foreign visitor is given an entry permit and allowed to visit Israel.
What is the basis for the Ministry of the Interior’s decision?
It should be borne in mind that among the objective considerations of the immigration authorities (documents presented, proof of visitor having their center of life outside of Israel, the deposit of a bank guarantee), there are also subjective considerations of balancing between possible harm to Israel and the possible harm caused to the visitor as a result of the prohibition on entry into Israel. The Israeli immigration authorities and the court tend to understand and sympathize with visitors who wish to visit Israel in order to work or study legally, or who wish to enter Israel in order to visit family members or spouses. On the other hand, the harm caused to the visitor who only wishes to visit the Holy Land as a tourist is considered relatively marginal, and it is more difficult to receive an entry permit to Israel in these cases.
In conclusion, the chances of success in an attempt to appeal a refusal of entry to Israel are higher with visitors with a “good” reason to enter the country than those who wish to visit for touristic reasons only. However, even tourists who are determined to visit the Holy Land can certainly achieve a shortening or repeal of their period prohibition of entry from the Ministry of the Interior.
Contact our law firm in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv for legal assistance regarding immigration and entry into Israel, including assistance in appeal a refusal of entry to Israel and canceling the entry ban.