Reciprocal Investor Visa Programs One Step Closer to Implementation

Israel’s Parliament has approved the creation of a new special visa category (B-5) for U.S. citizen investors. American investors will be able to apply for the new visa type once the Interior Minister publishes implementing regulations, which is expected to occur in the near future. 

The creation of the B-5 visa for U.S. citizen investors is one of the final steps toward the implementation of reciprocal investor visa programs between Israel and the United States. In June 2012, the United States passed a law to allow Israeli investors to apply for E-2 treaty investor visas, subject to the creation of a reciprocal Israeli visa option for U.S. investors. It is expected that the U.S. Embassy in Tel Aviv will begin to accept E-2 visa applications from Israeli nationals shortly after Israel starts accepting B-5 visa applications, but no official announcement has yet been made. 

Fragomen worked closely with Kan-Tor & Acco Law Firm (Israel) to prepare this alert. It is provided for informational purposes only. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact the global immigration professional with whom you work at Fragomen or send an email to [email protected].