The government approved a reform led by Aliyah and Integration Minister Ofir Sofer on Sunday. The reform, which fast-tracks licenses, is intended to support the aliyah of professionals to Israel.
The decision will allow professional license holders to begin applying for their Israeli license before arriving in Israel.
Sign up for our newsletter to learn more >>The ministry announced this was designed to help reduce the labor shortage the economy is currently facing and that the expected increase in immigration could boost the economy by up to 3.8 billion shekels by 2034.
“This is a precedent-setting and historic decision that will help quickly integrate new immigrants into the labor market, strengthen the Israeli economy, and address the shortage of essential professions in the economy,” the minister said.
Reforming the licensing system
Until now, license holders have faced a six- to 12-month delay for approval when arriving in the country, leading to periods when they were unable to be employed in their industries.
Now, professional licenses such as engineering, social work, education, finance, the medical professions, and more will be able to be approved from abroad, allowing them to begin working in their field as soon as they arrive.
The reform will allow the submission of documents from abroad, in principle, before even receiving a national ID, which is expected to dramatically reduce the wait times, the ministry said.
It will also shorten internship periods across various fields; engineers will have theirs shortened by six months, land surveyors’ internships will be shortened by a year, insurance agents by 3 months, while doctors and vets will be given temporary licenses.
The Justice Ministry announced that those with over two years of experience will receive special “new immigrant accountant” status, allowing them to begin work immediately and granting them recognition by Israel’s Certified Public Accountant Council.
The Social Affairs Ministry will also begin recognizing licenses from abroad so that it will be clear whether they have been approved before they arrive. In particular, vets will receive special dispensation exempting them from exams if they have over 10 years of experience.
Financial professionals such as insurance agents and pension consultants will be able to begin their internship before passing their exams, and land surveyors will be allowed to take the exams during the internship.
The governemnt will also provide individual assistance to immigrants throughout the process and until their integration into the labor market.
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