An immigrant who comes to Israel in order to live is entitled to government assistance in various areas.
Most assistance granted to immigrants comes from the Ministry of Immigrant Absorption.
The assistance is manifested in counseling and orientation as well as in financial assistance. The Ministry also coordinates assistance given by other government ministries, such as the Ministries of Housing and Education.
This chapter will discuss only assistance granted to immigrants by the Ministry of Immigrant Absorption. At the end of this chapter, you will find recommended government sites that contain information about services provided to immigrants.
The amount and duration of the assistance changes based on the area of assistance the immigrant receives, the family status of the immigrant, income, prior stays in Israel and other parameters.
Remember that the information provided here is general. Personal situations, such as stay in Israel, change of family status, etc. might change your eligibility rights. Before taking any action you must contact the Ministry of Immigrant Absorption and check if the information you have is valid.
In case of any discrepancies between these details and regulations, the regulations will prevail.
Candidates Eligible for Assistance from the Ministry of Immigrant Absorption
New Immigrant
Minor Immigrant
Immigrant Citizen
Child of Immigrants
Immigrant Family
Returning Minor
Returning Resident
New Immigrant
A new immigrant is a person who came to Israel and received the status of "new immigrant" from the Ministry of Interior, according to the Law of Return - 1950.
The Law of Return states that every Jew, his/her spouse, his children and grandchildren and their spouses are entitled to immigrate to Israel (except for several irregular cases that are mentioned in the Law of Return.)
Persons with a "new immigrant" status are entitled to special assistance given to immigrants by governmental ministries and various other organizations, according to predetermined criteria.
Conditions for receiving Ministry of Immigrant Absorption assistance
Obtaining "new immigrant" status from the Ministry of The Interior.
New Immigrant Status
A new immigrant or a person who has received the status of Temporary Resident A/1 prior to 1.1.92 and who are at least 17 years old on the day the receive the status, with the exception of people included in the definition of an adult child of an immigrant.
Ministry of Immigrant Absorption assistance includes the following:
Absorption Basket to people who come from countries entitled to the Absorption Basket.
Income Insurance during the first year following immigration to immigrants who do not receive the Absorption Basket, to immigrants who appear before the Employment Bureau and to immigrants studying in courses.
Customs Grant to people who come from countries which are entitled to a custom grant.
Hebrew Studies (ulpan).
Assistance in Housing.
Assistance in Employment.
Assistance in establishing in independent business -Business Entrepreneurship.
Tuitiion Fee Assistance in institutions of higher education.
Assistance to Soldiers
Immigrant Minor
An Immigrant Minor is an immigrant who falls into one of the following categories:
A. One who came to Israel between the ages of 14-17, without his parents, and received a "new immigrant" visa from the Ministry of the Interior.
Assistance - absorption basket assistance according to age. Other types of assistance may be provided from the age of 17, or upon the completion of studies.
B. One who made aliyah before the age of 14, who resides in an boarding school educational framework for the first year following aliyah, and remains in that framework until at least age 17, and whose parents did not make aliyah. Such an immigrant receives assistance from the Ministry of Immigrant Absorption from the age of 17 only.
An immigrant minor may be eligible for assistance in the following areas: absorption basket, Hebrew studies, housing, employment, business entrepreneurship, assistance for soldiers, tuition fees at institutions of higher education and income insurance.
NOTE:
The period of eligibility for an immigrant minor is different from that of an adult immigrant. Consult with an absorption coordinator at a branch or district office of the Ministry of Immigrant Absorption for details.
Immigrant Citizen
An immigrant citizen is a person who was born abroad to an Israeli citizen, and would be eligible to immigrate to Israel under the Law of Return if they did not already hold Israeli citizenship.
Period of eligibility: from the time of receipt of an Israeli Identity Certificate.
Assistance: Assistance is the same as that for a new immigrant.
Required documents:
Passports or alternate documents that indicate length of visits in Israel.
Updated Identification Certificate
Two passport photos
Customs- information pertaining to exemption from taxes can be received only at certified customs bureaus and only information provided by said bureaus should be addressed.
Health Insurance – information about health insurance can be received in National Insurance Institute offices that are nearest to your place of residence.
Where can one obtain exact information and assistance?
information and assistance for aliyah to Israel can be obtained abroad at Immigration Centers and Department of the Jewish Agency and from authorized immigration emissaries but final approval of status will be obtained in Israel from the bureaus of the Ministry of Immigrant Absorption and Customs Tax offices.
NOTE!
An immigrant citizen receives immigrant assistance only from the Ministry of Immigrant Absorption. You should directly contact the Customs Tax office and other ministries to clarify their requirements.
Child of an immigrant
The child of an immigrant is a single individual who immigrated to Israel close to the time of his parents.
Age of immigration:
Adult child of immigrant - age 17 to 21
Minor child of immigrant - under 17 years old
Immigration close to the time of this parents:
Adult child of immigrants - immigrated with his parents, or one year before his parents, or within the year after his parents.
Minor child of immigrants - immigrated with his parents or without his parents, or within one year and has yet to turn 17 when his parents received new immigrant status.
The Rights of a Child of Immigrants
The child of immigrants is entitled to all assistance given to any other immigrant, except in the following two areas:
Housing: a single child of immigrants is not entitled to housing assistance (mortgage, rent or public housing) separate from his family.
Comment - a child of immigrants who marries an immigrant is entitled to a mortgage for an immigrant family. Children of immigrants who marry other children of immigrants, or children of immigrants who marry veteran Israelis, are entitled to the rights of young veteran couples.
Custome Grant: for immigrants from countries which are entitled to a custome grant. Children of immigrants are entitled to this grant if they are over 23 at the time of their immigration, or they married an immigrant, or a child of an immigrant, during their first year in the country.
Custome Tax: in general, any person who came to Israel as a minor is not entitled to an exemption from customs tax. Details on eligibility for this should be clarified at the Customs Tax offices.
NOTE!
The general assistance for immigrants is given according to regulations and depends also on periods of stay in Israel. Personal eligibility should be clarified at the various branches of the Ministry of Immigrant Absorption.
Returning Minor
A returning minor is one who left the country with his parents before the age of 14 and returned for permanent residence at or after the age of 17.
Criteria for receiving assistance as a "returning minor" are as follows:
a. Duration of stay abroad: lived abroad for 4 continuous years.
b. Stay in Israel that does not affect eligibility
Visits of less than four months every year do not count as returning to Israel
For anyone who served in the army in regular service or in National Service - A stay of up to four months before or after Army or National service does not count as returning to Israel.
School year: stays in Israel for one academic year at a recognized institution, or in a program sponsored by the Jewish Agency, youth movement or pre-military program. This year is in addition to the four years spent abroad.
c. Status of citizenship: returned to Israel as an Israeli citizen. At his time of return would have been eligible to receive an immigrant visa according to the Law of Return - 1950 if he weren't an Israeli citizen.
d. Army service: the returning minor must register at the induction station and bring written approval of this, or receive an exemption from enlistment.
Exempt from the requirement to present registration form and exemption (ptor): women over 25, non-single women or mothers and men over 40.
Parents' occupation abroad:
His parents were not employed by one of the parties specified below and did not represent any Israeli organization overseas for the five years that preceded his return to Israel.
The organizations include:
The State of Israel
One of the authorities in Israel including government companies.
World Zionist Organization or one of its authorities.
The Jewish Agency
Jewish National Fund
Keren Hayesod
The Bonds
A private or public Israeli employer including organizations registered outside of Israel and that complies with one of the following conditions:
1. control over his business and regulations operating in Israel.
2. Its name as a corporate name that was first registered in Israel.
3. The name of the company is identical (or identical in principle) to the name of the company in which parent worked in Israel.
Required Documentation:
Authorization of registration at an I.D.F. recruitment office or exemption from army service or authorization of postponement of service.
Updated Identification Certificate.
Passport with date of leaving the country prior to the age of 14.
Passports or alternative documents proving continuous stay abroad (study authorizations, annual report cards from primary or high schools, institutions of higher education or yeshivot, excluding diplomas, official authorizations from income tax authorities or national insurance abroad.)
Passports with the date of the parents' departure of the country (or alternative documents).
Two passport photos.
Letter of approval of one year of study in Israel (for persons who studied in Israel).
Customs: information concerning exemption from taxes can be obtained only at the customs offices; only information provided by the office is considered valid.
Where can one obtain exact information and assistance?
Abroad: information and assistance for returning to Israel can be obtained at the Immigration Centers and Department of the Jewish Agency and fromauthorized immigration emissaries, but final approval of status will be obtained in Israel from the bureaus of the Ministry of immigrant of Absorption and Customs offices.
In Israel: Information and guidance can be obtained at the bureaus and branches of the Ministry of Immigrant Absorption. Matters concerning customs tax can be obtained only at the Customs Tax offices.
NOTE!
A returning minor receives assistance as a new immigrant from the Ministry of Immigrant Absorption only.
For general matters concerning customs and other ministries, please contact said ministries directly!
Immigrant Family
A family where all members have an immigrant status.
Mixed Immigrant Family
A new immigrant / returning minor / immigrant citizen married to a veteran Israeli and has a child who was born overseas and who is subject to one of the two conditions specified below will be considered an immigrant family:
a. The child was born before the eligible parent received "immigrant" status.
b. The child was born after the eligible parent received "immigrant" status, and at least one year has passed since both spouses left the country.
Documents
Eligibility for an immigrant certificate / certificate of eligibility.
The certificate will be registered in the name of the new immigrant / returning minor / immigrant citizen who is married to a veteran Israeli as specified in the regulations pertaining to this matter.
Details about Eligibility
A family, where one of the spouses has "immigrant", "immigrant citizen" or "returning minor" status may receive housing assistance and assistance in other areas as specified in the regulations pertaining to this matter, like an immigrant family.
The veteran Israeli spouse will not be entitled to receive individual assistance for himself or herself other than assistance given in accordance with eligibility for a returning resident, if he complies with the definition of a returning resident.
NOTE!
Assistance in other fields, such as employment, is given to each spouse according to their eligibility. Terms for assistance should therefore be clarified prior to immigration.
Returning Resident
A "returning resident" is an Israeli citizen who spent at least two years abroad.
Criteria for receiving assistance as a "returning citizen" are as follows:
1. Has Israeli citizenship.
2. Spent at least two years abroad.
Scientist - requirements for receiving assistance from the Center for Absorption in Science is a stay of at least three years abroad.
3. Has visited Israel for less than four continuous or cumulative months in every year, during the years prior to his return to Israel. Scientist - visited Israel for less than four months in the three years prior to his return to Israel.
4. The determining age for receiving assistance is 17 and up. In the fields of assistance that have an age limitation - the age is that determined in Ministry of Immigrant Absorption regulations.
5. He, his spouse, or his parents were not on any public mission during the five years prior to their return to Israel. Public mission refers to any position on behalf of a state organization, the World Zionist Organization, the Jewish Agency, Jewish National Fund (J.N.F.), Keren Hayesod or the Bonds.
6. Has not received prior assistance as a returning resident from the Ministry of Immigrant Absorption.
For details on assistance please see chapter on Returning Residents.
Temporary Resident - A/1
The status of Temporary Resident - A/1 - is temporarily granted, upon request to the Ministry of Interior to individuals who are eligible for "immigrant" status. This status is given for a period of 3 years, at the end of which the temporary resident receives permanent status.
Temporary residents A/1 are not entitled to receive direct assistance from the Ministry of Immigrant Absorption and other ministries, with the exception of those who received Temporary Resident status prior to 1/1/92. Such individuals receive the same assistance as all other immigrants.
Last updated 18/10/07