B/1 Work Visa — construction sector

A foreign worker receives permission to work in Israel in one of the sectors open for employment of foreign workers, such as caregiving for the elderly or for the disabled, work as an aide in a long term care facility, hotel housekeeping, industry, agriculture, construction via manpower companies, construction as part of the staff of a foreign construction company, or as an expert ethnic chef or other type of expert. The sector for which the worker’s employment has been approved is stipulated in the worker's B/1 visa.

Foreign workers employed in the construction industry may only change employers quarterly, on January 1st, April 1st, July 1st and October 1st of each year, after giving lawful advance notice in writing to their employers. If a worker wishes to change employers between quarters, in cases where the current employer has violated the worker’s rights, the worker can request permission to do so by contacting the Ombudsperson for Foreign Worker Labour Rights in the Ministry of Labour (see contact information in "Filing Complaints" section hereinafter). Foreign construction workers who arrive in Israel as per an employment contract with a Licensed Manpower Company, and who wish to change employers as specified above, may only change to another employer who is also a Manpower Company licensed to employ foreign construction workers. Foreign construction workers who come to Israel as per an employment contract with a Registered Foreign Contractor, as stipulated in their visa and work permit, may change employment between other such registered contractors only, and may not be employed by Licensed Manpower Companies.

Only employers who hold valid employment permits from the Population and Immigration Authority in the Ministry of the Interior (hereinafter: PIBA) may employ foreign workers, and only foreign workers with valid work visas and permits (hereinafter: B/1 visa) for the relevant sector as issued by PIBA may be employed by these licensed employers.

Visas for work in Israel (B/1) are issued by Israeli Consulates abroad, based on the requests received by PIBA from eligible permit holding employers using the services of licensed Israeli placement agencies, or as stipulated in a bilateral agreement between Israel and the worker’s country of origin - subject to the relevant procedures, checks and approvals of PIBA.

Foreign workers may only work for their current registered and licensed employer. They may not work for another employer, even during breaks from work, on holidays, rest days or after regular working hours.

Unemployed foreign workers who have not completed their maximum permitted stay in Israel, have up to 90 days from the date they leave their former employment to find and register for alternate employment with a licensed employer in the sector specified in the worker's B/1 visa.

## 3. Permitted Sectors A foreign worker receives permission to work in Israel in one of the sectors open for employment of foreign workers, such as caregiving for the elderly or for the disabled, work as an aide in a long term care facility, hotel housekeeping, industry, agriculture, construction via manpower companies, construction as part of the staff of a foreign construction company, or as an expert ethnic chef or other type of expert. The sector for which the worker’s employment has been approved is stipulated in the worker's B/1 visa. After arriving in Israel to work in one permitted sector, the foreign worker will not be allowed to change to a different permitted sector. Thus, for example, a worker who arrived 18 in Israel to provide home based caregiving will not be permitted to change employers in order to work as an expert chef, and a worker who arrived as an expert will not be permitted to work in the construction sector.

Foreign workers must be employed in a full-time position by their legal employer. Part time employment of a foreign worker is prohibited.

Foreign workers employed in the construction industry may only change employers quarterly, on January 1st, April 1st, July 1st and October 1st of each year, after giving lawful advance notice in writing to their employers. If a worker wishes to change employers between quarters, in cases where the current employer has violated the worker’s rights, the worker can request permission to do so by contacting the Ombudsperson for Foreign Worker Labour Rights in the Ministry of Labour (see contact information in "Filing Complaints" section hereinafter). Foreign construction workers who arrive in Israel as per an employment contract with a Licensed Manpower Company, and who wish to change employers as specified above, may only change to another employer who is also a Manpower Company licensed to employ foreign construction workers. Foreign construction workers who come to Israel as per an employment contract with a Registered Foreign Contractor, as stipulated in their visa and work permit, may change employment between other such registered contractors only, and may not be employed by Licensed Manpower Companies.

The length of each B/1 visa issued by PIBA to a foreign worker is limited to a maximum period of one year. Therefore, even if the employer’s permit is valid for a longer period, the foreign worker's B/1 visa will be issued for no more than a one-year period. Extension of the B/1 visa is subject to PIBA procedures and discretion, and with the exception of Caregivers (see below), the visa will not be extended for additional periods once 63 months have passed from the date of the worker's first entry to Israel.

Please note that the maximum temporary work period in Israel may be shorter for certain types of workers, such as seasonal workers, project related workers and workers arriving under special agreements, and in these cases the shorter work period will be in accordance with the circumstances of the worker’s arrival in Israel and the relevant PIBA procedures.

As set out in Israeli law, foreign workers are permitted to work in Israel for a temporary period only, after which they must leave the country promptly or be subject to detention and deportation.

**3. Foreign Workers in Other Sectors –** Foreign Workers in sectors other than the above, in which the Foreign Worker Deposit System is completely in place, are given 30 days from the end of their last legal employment to leave Israel.