Visas for Foreign High-Tech Experts (PIBA Procedure No. 5.3.0043 / B-1 Expert Visa, "HIT 365")

Year establishedPublished

2018

Governing lawPublished

Foreign Workers Law, 5751-1991, implemented for high-tech/cyber experts through PIBA Procedure No. 5.3.0043 (Foreign Experts in High-Tech and Cyber Companies), in force since February 2018

Responsible authorityPublished

Population and Immigration Authority (PIBA), Ministry of Interior — Permits Department / Foreign Experts Division, with company eligibility confirmed by the Israel Innovation Authority

What the program providesPublished

A fast-track Israeli work visa letting Innovation-Authority-recognized tech and cyber companies bring in scarce foreign specialists, with permit decisions in about a week and up to five years three months in the country

No governed customer claim is present for this section.

Minimum ageUnknown

Unknown

Clean criminal record requiredPublished

Yes

Local health insurance requiredPublished

Yes

Nationality restrictionsUnknown

Unknown

Basic eligibilityPublished

Foreign national with professional expertise that is scarce or unavailable in Israel's labor market (e.g. engineering, cybersecurity, AI, specialized R&D), sponsored by an Israeli company the Innovation Authority recognizes as a technologically advanced knowledge-intensive corporation, employed at or above the legally required 'expert wage' — about double Israel's average wage, NIS 27,132/month as of 2026.

Employment statusPublished

Full-time employee

Generational limitPublished

Not applicable

Family sponsorshipPublished

Yes

Spouse includedPublished

Yes

Children includedPublished

Yes

Child age limitPublished

18 years

ChildrenPublished

Spouse and minor children accompany on B-2 visitor visas linked to the primary B/1 holder; the spouse may separately obtain an Employment Authorization for Spouse (EAS) visa to work for any employer without a prevailing-wage test. Children under 18 cannot work.

No governed customer claim is present for this section.

Processing timePublished

1.2 weeks

Can apply without travelingPublished

No

How you applyPublished

Employer files the expert work-permit application online with PIBA's Permits Department (Foreign Experts Division) once the company holds Innovation Authority high-tech recognition; the expert then applies for the B/1 visa at an Israeli consulate abroad.

Required in-person stepPublished

Attend an Israeli consulate abroad to obtain the B/1 visa stamp; the visa/permit is then validated within about 2 working days of arrival in Israel.

What the processing time measuresPublished

PIBA Permits Department's decision on the employer's expert work-permit application, once the company already holds Innovation Authority high-tech recognition: published as about 6 working days (~1.2 weeks). Does not include the separate B/1 visa issuance time at the consulate abroad, which is not published.

Official application routePublished

https://forms.gov.il/globaldata/getsequence/getHtmlForm.aspx?formType=Experts@piba.gov.il

Minimum investmentPublished

None required

Minimum passive investment (July 2026)Published

None required

Minimum active investment (July 2026)Published

None required

Processing feePublished

$471

Application feePublished

$3,546

Total cost to applyPublished

$4,017

Monthly income requiredPublished

$9,009/month

Monthly pension income requiredUnknown

Unknown

Monthly rental income requiredUnknown

Unknown

Savings requiredUnknown

Unknown

Proof of sufficient fundsUnknown

Unknown

Local bank deposit requiredUnknown

Unknown

Minimum local bank depositUnknown

Unknown

Cost notesPublished

2026 figures from a single law-firm source (Decker Pex Levi): work-permit application fee NIS 1,420/year (~USD 471) and B/1 visa fee NIS 10,680/year (~USD 3,546), converted at 1 USD = 3.0125 ILS (22 Sep 2026 market rate). An older (2023) source cites a lower NIS 1,300 work-permit fee, suggesting these fees rise periodically. The official PIBA fee-schedule PDF (5.3.0041en.pdf) was opened but is image-based and not machine-readable, so the exact current government fee table could not be independently confirmed from a primary source — treat fee figures as medium confidence.

Stay required to keep statusUnknown

Unknown

Physical presence requiredPublished

Yes

In-country visit requiredPublished

Yes

Move-in windowUnknown

Unknown

Length of residencyPublished

12 months

Residency is lifetimePublished

No

RenewablePublished

Yes

Maximum durationPublished

63 months

Maximum duration is lifetimePublished

No

Stay rule (Sept 2026)Published

Status depends on continued employment with the Innovation-Authority-recognized high-tech/cyber sponsor at or above the required expert wage; the holder must actually live and work in Israel to keep the permit, but no separate minimum annual day-count for presence is published.

Time to permanent residencyUnknown

Unknown

Time to citizenshipUnknown

Unknown

Work for a local employerPublished

Yes

Start a businessUnknown

Unknown

Remote or freelance workUnknown

Unknown

Local healthcare accessUnknown

Unknown

University accessUnknown

Unknown

Can buy landUnknown

Unknown

Local bankingUnknown

Unknown

Permanent residence timeline basisPublished

Not applicable

Citizenship timeline basisPublished

Not applicable

Plan B note (Sept 2026)Published

Not closed — active and current as of September 2026 (sources dated 2026 cite the current NIS 27,132 salary threshold). Temporary, employer-sponsored work status capped at 63 months total with no built-in path to Israeli permanent residency or citizenship (those generally require a separate route such as the Law of Return for Jews, see IL-CBD). Unlike a passive RBI/CBI asset, this status requires the holder to actually live and work in Israel for the sponsoring company — it lapses if the employment ends, not simply if the person stays away.

Official program websitePublished

https://innovationisrael.org.il/en/programs/visas-for-foreign-high-tech-experts-incentive-program/

Plan B sources (Sept 2026)Published

https://innovationisrael.org.il/en/programs/visas-for-foreign-high-tech-experts-incentive-program/ | https://www.gov.il/BlobFolder/policy/request_for_working_permit_expert_foreign_workers_procedure/en/5.3.0041en.pdf | https://www.indembassyisrael.gov.in/pdf/menu/English_Version_PIBA_Notification_Employment_of_high_tech_visa_categories.pdf | https://ktalegal.com/practice-areas/israel-immigration/b-1-work-visa/ | https://hi-immigrationlaw.com/en/practice_areas/972-2/work-visa-new-high-tech-procedure/ | https://lawoffice.org.il/en/israel-work-visa/ | https://www.easyaliyah.com/blog/understanding-the-b-1-foreign-expert-work-visa-in-israel-a-comprehensive-guide | https://www.mondaq.com/work-visas/783926/relocation-to-israel--new-high-tech-and-cyber-regulation-for-foreign-national-experts

Every fact on this page comes from the CitizensOS Mobility Asset Database (Sep 21, 2026 edition). A blank is shown as Unknown.