Israel: Directive Allows Employment of Foreign Workers in Certain National Infrastructure Projects

The Israeli Ministry of Interior announced through a directive that it will create a special quota of 1,950 special work permits for the employment of foreign nationals in 171 national infrastructure projects. Previously, employers involved in these projects had to apply for a foreign expert visa for their employees, which required payment of at least double the average salary. However, according to the directive, employers will be able to pay foreign nationals under the special work permits lower wages than are normally required to pay foreign experts. Some of these projects include work on power stations, seawater desalination facilities, wastewater treatment facilities, and airports, among other projects. The Ministry set a quota of 1,950 special work permits, which will be issued on a first-come, first-served basis; any unused part of the quota will expire within 90 days from the date the Ministry begins issuing the permits. Work permit applications must be submitted according to the guidance outlined in the directive. In order to be eligible, foreign nationals must meet one of the following requirements: the foreign national’s country of origin is on Tier 1 of the U.S. Department of State’s human trafficking list; the foreign national’s country of origin has a gross domestic product equal to or higher than that of Israel; there is a bilateral recruitment agreement between Israel and the country of origin for hiring foreign nationals; the foreign national has been employed by the company for at least three years; or the foreign worker holds an academic degree. The directive will make it easier for employers in Israel to fill job vacancies in national infrastructure projects.