Visa Lawyer Blog
Recently, the Israeli government approved a proposal from Interior Minister Gideon Sa’ar for American investors who wish to visit Israel on a more frequent basis. It is a new arrangement that is part of a recent program to allow Israelis seeking to invest in the U.S. and who wish to stay to develop and manage their business, will be given similar special conditions.
The approval of the plan by the American embassy in Israel is conditioned on the granting of benefits to American investors in Israel. According to this plan, Israeli investors who obtain approval from American authorities will be offered a fast track entry into the US and will receive E2 visas that allow stays of up to two years in the United States.
This new plan will be implemented within the next few months, after several legislative amendments required to complete it are made. Following the approval of the plan, Sa’ar said that the “US is a major economic partner for Israel. It is the main source of foreign investment in Israel and is at the same time one of the major destinations for investments by Israelis. Investor visas constitute another stage in the United States-Israel Free Trade Agreement and will promote the economic cooperation of the two countries”, Sa’ar added.
Although this is a great development for investor relations between the U.S. and Israel, the Knesset will still need to pass legislative changes in order for it to become effective law in Israel. While it is not a must that such treaty would be signed, it is possible there would be an exchange of letters or no official document but just an announcement of the Embassy that Israeli citizens can now apply for the E2 visa. Regardless of how these changes come into effect, it is clear that the U.S. and Israel are working towards making it easier for investors to work in both countries on their investment developments, which is definitely a step in the right direction for improving the U.S. economy.
For more information and updates on Israeli investor visas you can go here for the latest information on what you can do to invest and grow a business in Israel.