Press Release 4.15.19.pdf
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 15, 2019
AFTER SUCCESSFUL U.S.-ISRAELI NEGOTIATIONS, A NEW STREAMLINED VISA WILL BE AVAILABLE TO STIMULATE U.S. BUSINESSES AND INVESTMENT
SAN FRANCISCO, CA—Beginning May 1, 2019, the Israeli Consulate General to the Pacific Northwest will begin processing applications for a new Israeli visa designed to streamline business cooperation and investment and increase economic development between the United States and Israel.
The B/5 Israel Investor Visa would permit American business owners, their employees who possess unique expertise, and their families to reside and work temporarily in Israel in order to develop and manage business ventures. This visa is part of a mutual agreement between the United States and Israel.
“This new visa represents a significant step forward in further promoting meaningful business exchanges between the United States and Israel,” said Shlomi Kofman, Consul General of Israel. “Here in the Pacific Northwest, important economic hubs like California’s Silicon Valley have strong ties with the Israeli Start-Up Nation. This important new tool will generate increased bilateral investment, innovation and entrepreneurship, which benefits both the economies of Israel and the Pacific Northwest, ultimately bringing our economic relationship closer together.”
Starting in May, the B/5 Visa will make it easier for entrepreneurs and business men and women to operate in Israel by removing unnecessary barriers to the current visa process. The visa was designed to correspond with recently-enacted U.S. federal legislation designed to foster investment opportunities for American businesses to operate in Israel, where there has recently been a tech and innovation revolution. It will also employ a simplified and expedited visa application process.
(Communicated by the MFA Spokesperson)
In conjunction with the US legislation of 2012 in which the granting of investor visas to Israeli citizens investing in the US was resolved, the Government of Israel has decided, in accordance with Israeli government Resolution 1528 from 30 March 2014 and Resolution 2243 from January 2017 to permit US citizens, including vital workers on their behalf and their families, to reside and work in Israel on a temporary basis for the purpose of managing and developing a business venture.
After detailed interministerial preparation that encompassed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Population and Immigration Authority, the Ministry of Economy-the Foreign Trade Administration, the Ministry of Labor, Social Affairs and Social Services, the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Justice, the procedure for implementing government resolutions enabling US citizens to apply for an investor visa in Israel was completed. The application will be considered by an interministerial committee, which will submit its recommendations for the approval of the Minister of the Interior.
The application may be submitted to the consul in any of Israel's official diplomatic missions in the United States that hosts a commercial attaché attached to the Ministry of Economy and Industry: Washington, New York, Houston, and San Francisco.
At the same time, Israeli investors may submit an application for a US investor visa at any US embassy. (Details may be found on the US Embassy website in Israel).
The announcement represents a significant milestone for businesses and companies alike. The investor visas in both countries will ease restrictions and encourage economic activity between the two countries.
As agreed with the United States, the procedure will be implemented on May 1, 2019, and will be mutually applied to US investors in Israel and Israeli investors in the United States.
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The Consulate General of Israel to the Pacific Northwest is the government representative of the State of Israel to the states of Alaska, Washington, Oregon Idaho, Montana and Northern California. It is responsible for fostering diplomatic, economic and cultural relationships between Israel and the national, state and local governments of the Pacific Northwest as well as businesses and other organizations. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and LinkedIn, and subscribe to our newsletter.
The Government of Israel Economic Mission to the West Coast is responsible for enhancing bi-national trade relations between the West Coast and Israeli business communities. The main fields of activity include promoting trade and exports, attracting and encouraging investments and creating strategic cooperation with companies. By leveraging its networking capacity and industry knowledge in Israel and the Western United States, the Economic Mission is able to seamlessly engage prospective business partners half a world apart. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn, and Subscribe to our newsletter.