Foreign citizens who wish to receive status in Israel and do not meet the conditions for receiving status according to the various procedures (family reunification, work, Aliyah, etc.), can submit an application to receive status for special humanitarian reasons. The applications are examined by a committee that includes representatives from the Population Authority, the Ministry of Welfare, the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the police. After receiving the recommendation of the committee members, a decision is made by the Director General of the Population Authority.
The Population Authority established a procedure to assess such application, and this procedure is updated from time to time. On December 4, 2023, a draconian and severe amendment to the procedure was published and provisions were set forth that greatly complicate the process of submitting the application and obtaining the status.
For example, it was determined that anyone who wishes to submit a humanitarian request and already holds a visa of some kind, his visa will be canceled and he will only receive a tourist visa (b/2) in its place. That is, he will no longer be able to work, and will no longer be entitled to social security benefits and subsidized health insurance, nor will he be able to leave Israel and return to it. The applicant will be forced to stay only with a tourist visa until a decision is made, a period that can last a year or more.
It was also determined that those who wish to submit a humanitarian application must present a birth certificate with an apostille and a criminal recird certificate with an apostille from their country of origin, updated to the last six months. This provision also obliges those who have actually lived in Israel in recent years and have not left the country.
It was also determined that those who received humanitarian status will receive a license for one year each time, and in order to extend the license for another year, they will again have to present certificates from the country of origin and undergo an interview.
Finally, it was determined that these restrictive provisions will also apply retroactively to applications that are currently under consideration.
If you are interested in submitting a humanitarian request, contact us today and we will help you achieve the best result.