Minimum Salary Level and Work Visa Government Fees Increased

Minimum salary level

Effective January 1, 2018, the minimum monthly salary has increased to NIS 5,300, up 6 percent from last year.

• Initial and renewal applications. Employers of foreign nationals seeking to obtain or renew a short-term employment authorization (SEA) or short-term expedited process (STEP) visa on or after January 1, 2018 must increase the foreign national’s minimum salary to comply with the new rule.
• Pending applications. Employers of foreign nationals with pending SEA or STEP applications as of January 1, 2018 must increase the foreign national’s minimum salary to comply with the new rule. 
• Applications that do not meet the minimum salary will be rejected.

Reminders on other requirements for minimum salary level

• Benefits and allowances. As before, benefits and allowances may only be included if they are specified in the employment contract, guaranteed and fixed, included in the monthly pay stub and are not paid in kind. Holiday allowance cannot be included.
• Currency. As before, employers are required to guarantee the salary amount in NIS regardless of payroll location and/or exchange rate fluctuations.

Work visa government fees

Government fees for B-1 work visas of over three months have increased to NIS 9,675 (not including submission fees to the Work Permit Unit), up from NIS 9,655.

Fragomen worked closely with Kan-Tor & Acco Law Firm (Israel) to prepare this alert. This alert is for informational purposes only. If you have any questions, please contact the global immigration professional with whom you work at Fragomen or send an email to [email protected].