Despite the hot climate and the constant terrorist threat, moving to Israel is the dream of many residents of the former USSR countries. The country has a fairly high standard of living, there are social guarantees and benefits, the economy is constantly evolving. Citizens of Russia have the right to count on 90 days in Israel without a visa, but for permanent residence they will have to collect a lot of documents.
An interesting fact is that ¼ of the entire population of the state are emigrants. Moreover, this indicator is growing every year.
Who can count on official permission?
How to move to live in Israel? Alas, but not everyone can become residents of this country. The legislation of the state establishes a certain category of persons who are entitled to count on obtaining official permission:
- Jews of origin;
- persons who have Jews in their kinship;
- willing to work in the country;
- persons married to citizens of the state;
- people who have relatives in the country and who are legally there.
For people who are Jewish or have Jewish roots, even the Law on Repatriation is written. The normative act clearly spells out signs that make it possible to rank a person in the Jewish family. This law was approved immediately after the Second World War and is valid to this day.
Return to homeland
How to move to Israel if there are Jewish roots? In this case, the applicant for citizenship must apply to the diplomatic mission or embassy and obtain a permanent residence visa.
This is the easiest way to get into the country, but for this you should definitely have Jewish roots, in other cases, everything is much more complicated. Even students and employees have very little chance of obtaining citizenship.
As a rule, Russian citizens with Jewish roots seek help to leave the country for a Sohnut representative office. This Jewish agency will provide comprehensive support and will accompany the person at every stage. First, the applicant turns to the Israeli Consulate, collects all the documents and submits them for a visa. After checking all the documents, the applicant receives a visa for permanent residence, the validity of which is 6 months.
After that, the curator of Sokhnut will help determine the resettlement program, it can be the program of the Jewish Agency or, if there are no particular preferences for the place of residence, the curators of the Israeli Sokhnut will choose an individual route. There is an opportunity to settle in the city where relatives of the leaving family or one person live.
How to move to Israel and what to do upon arrival in the country? Upon arrival at the place of residence, you must contact the Ministry of Absorption, where they will be enrolled in free Hebrew courses, if necessary, retraining courses, they will help to enroll children in school or kindergarten. You will need to open a bank account and attach to the health insurance fund.
According to the reviews of those who moved, there are only 4 medical organizations in the country, each of them has its pros and cons. But without medical insurance in the country can not do. When attaching to a specific health insurance fund, you need to consider that in the future it will be possible to apply only to those medical and pharmacy institutions that belong to this particular insurance fund.
Other repatriation programs
You can move to Israel from Russia under the “Perspective” program, which is designed for young people and middle-aged people from 33 to 42 years old. In addition to age, the candidate must have the right to repatriation and higher education received in another country. The program lasts 5 months. During this period, students will be able to begin to speak Hebrew, receive a specialized education and learn about the country, its culture and mores.
How to move to Israel? Programs for doctors are especially popular. This is a great opportunity for highly qualified medical workers to work and live in the Holy Land.
The program stipulates that the applicant must have Jewish roots, a medical education and not be older than 35 years. The applicant must be fluent in English and have at least 18 months of work experience in the specialty. It will still be necessary to pass an exam for professional suitability.
Marriage
How to move to Israel from Russia? Many girls will answer this question very simply - to marry a citizen of Israel. In fact, not everything is so simple, especially if the registration of marriage ties occurred on the territory of Russia.
After the wedding, the Israeli husband has the right to call his wife to his country only after a few weeks. First, you need to legalize the marriage certificate (be sure to put an apostille), after which you can only contact the Israeli Foreign Ministry with a statement, attach the marriage certificate, spouses identification cards and issue an invitation for the spouse. In addition, it will be necessary to confirm the fact that marriage cannot be regarded as fictitious. To do this, you can provide joint photos, correspondence by e-mail or Skype. Even the testimonies of the parents of the spouses will do.
After arriving in Israel, the arriving wife (husband) must apply to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the country with a request for the status of a spouse. And only a couple of months after receiving this status, you can apply for a residence permit. The period from arrival in Israel to obtaining a residence permit is from 6 to 12 months.
In addition, almost every year will have to confirm the absence of signs of fictitious marriage. If everything goes well, then after 5 years you can apply for citizenship.
According to reviews of people who moved to permanent residence in Israel, the most difficult at times is the legalization of marriage. First of all, during the first legalization procedure, you have to provide two letters from the correspondence of the young and three letters from the friends of an Israeli citizen. After arrival, the spouse often in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs asks for a letter from the house manager along with a receipt for payment of utility bills.
Work Visa
How to move to Israel for permanent residence? Another way, though thorny, is through employment. The main condition is a highly qualified employee and preferably in a unique field for this country.
First you need to get a work visa, which is issued for a period of 1 year. The employer, in turn, is obliged, before concluding a contract with the employee, to submit an application to the Ministry of Labor and Industry and justify the need to call an employee from another country.
The repatriation of senior citizens
Moving to Israel to retire is the dream of many residents of Russia. However, only older people who have Jewish roots have such an opportunity. The second condition is the achievement of the retirement age, which occurs in Israel at the age of 62 and 67 years. Therefore, you should not plan to move if you have not reached this age, otherwise you still have to work.
If the move took place 10 years before the retirement age, subject to employment throughout the time, such a person is entitled to old-age allowance and deductions for seniority. If, however, the work experience is not enough, and the repatriate has reached 60 years, then still a certain allowance is assigned to such a person. But such a person must meet at least one of the criteria:
- to be employed or to receive unemployment benefits;
- have 2 or more children;
- live in an agricultural community (in a kibbutz).
In such cases, the elderly are entitled to a benefit that cannot be lower than the subsistence level. To date, $ 384.
Investments and Real Estate
How to move to Israel? As in most countries of the world, in a state of four seas, investment in business is welcome. The main areas of the economy include the pharmaceutical industry, high technology and construction. However, even large investments are not grounds for obtaining a residence permit and citizenship.
The same situation is observed with the purchase of real estate. Any foreigner has the right to this, but real estate does not guarantee citizenship.
Documents for departure
How to move to Israel for permanent residence and what documents will be required?
In general, regardless of the selected program, the package of documents is almost the same. To contact the embassy, you must make an appointment and prepare the following package of documents:
- completed application form;
- passport of a citizen of Russia;
- foreign passport, the validity of which should not be less than 6 months;
- photos of size 3x4 cm;
- birth certificate of each family member who leaves;
- documents confirming marriage, the applicant, parents, grandparents (depending on which of the relatives has Jewish roots);
- documents confirming the availability of education;
- employment history;
- military ID (if available);
- certificate of absence or criminal record.
If a person who is a Jew and a close relative of the applicant lives in the territory of Israel, you will need to indicate his contact details, identification number.
It is worth remembering that the diplomatic mission of Israel does not consider documents in electronic form, it is necessary to come in person. Before making a decision, the applicant will have an interview at the consulate. If a positive decision is made, the applicant will receive a visa in his hands, which will make it possible to obtain permission for permanent residence.
It is very important to know that, having obtained Israeli citizenship, you do not need to abandon the existing one.
Job interview
It’s quite possible to move to Israel from Russia, but you should be prepared that this will require not only collecting a voluminous package of documents, but also going through an interview at the consulate, which is not a formality.
At the interview, they are interested in almost all the personal nuances of the applicant’s life. First of all, they ask why the candidate wants to move to Israel for permanent residence, find out how much the motives correspond to the normative act “On Return”. They check the data indicated in the questionnaire, are interested in long-term prospects, personal plans and attitude to religion.
It should be remembered that people who have Jewish roots only by mother confirm by default that they profess Judaism. In the case of voluntary adoption of Christianity, the candidate will be refused. If the candidate has both parents Jews, he has the right to profess any religion. An atheist will not be denied regardless of Jewish roots.
If there is a criminal record?
Do you want permanent residence in Israel from Russia? How to move, have a criminal record? It is no secret that most countries of the world do not always allow people with a criminal record. Israel also looks at this negatively, despite the positioning that returning to one's historic homeland is a vital issue for every Jew. However, there is still a chance. The first way is to try to rehabilitate yourself before the authorities of the Holy Land, to prove by the materials of the criminal proceedings that the violation is not serious or the applicant is not guilty. The second option is to wait for the statute of limitations for a crime within the Russian Federation. After this period, a certificate of criminal record will be issued.
Refugees
To move to Israel without Jewish roots under the refugee program. This is not to say that it is very simple, but with great desire you can go through all the barriers. Persons fleeing from their native land to another country fall into this category, fearing for their freedom and life. The main thing is that the refugee legally crosses the border of the country of the four seas and can prove that he really has good reason to fear for himself at home. Such persons in Israel are entitled to material assistance, housing and the opportunity to transport their family.
Upon arrival in the country, you must contact the Department for Refugees and submit the following package of documents:
- application in the prescribed form;
- applicant's passport;
- birth certificate;
- Photo.
In addition, the applicant must have in his hands evidence that confirms the existence of a threat in his native country. This can be media publications, audio and / or video recordings, photographs and so on. If a positive decision is made, then it will be necessary to undergo a medical commission, an interview and pass fingerprints. Family members will need to go through the same procedures if they also arrived in Israel.
Delay with the submission of documents is not worth it. This must be done within 12 months after arrival in Israel. It should be remembered: the more the applicant will delay the submission of documents, the less chance he will get a residence permit.
Refugee status is granted for a period of 1 year with the possibility of renewal.
What to do if you are not a Jew?
How to move to Israel not a Jew? Alas, without Jewish roots, getting into the country is not so easy, but with a great desire, everything is possible. For such persons, an A5 visa is provided. First of all, you can get such permission by marriage with a Jew (Jewess) living in Israel. The main thing to remember is that from time to time you will have to confirm the absence of a sign of fictitiousness of such a marriage.
The second option is to go to work. But for this it is necessary to have a truly unique profession, which the country of the four seas needs.
The third option is to enter as a refugee, but with mandatory proof that you are being harassed or threatened with life.
The benefits of living in the Holy Land
The most important plus, which can be seen in almost all reviews that have moved to Israel, is a favorable environmental situation and good climate. Although a large population density still negatively affects the environmental situation as a whole.
The country has a very diverse climate, from dry desert to Mediterranean and alpine, that is, for every taste. The next huge plus is a very low crime rate; we can say that it is practically zero. Children can walk here even at night.
The country has a very high level of democracy, everyone here respects the laws, and in return they receive a good education, social security, medical services and a decent standard of living.
In addition, having received a permit for permanent residence or citizenship, such a person may not renounce the citizenship of his native country.
Many people who came to this country talk about the responsiveness of the local population, if you are in trouble, they will immediately help you. Indeed, the authorities can be described as a huge bureaucratic machine, but everything is so thought out in it that people quickly get used to it and the authorities do not cause any negative emotions.
Minuses
It is clear that you can not do without cons. The reviews of the Russians who moved to Israel indicate that a permanent war is still going on in the country and, in fact, there is a constant martial law. Instability in neighboring countries (Gaza Strip, Syria and Lebanon, Iran) negatively affects the country of the four seas. No need to be surprised that in transport you can meet people in military uniform and with machine guns and other weapons.
Another problem in the country is the lack of clean drinking water. On the other hand, the presence of belonging to two countries allows the emigrant to return to his native power at any time.
How does a Russian move to Israel and is it necessary? Naturally, each person must answer this question himself, regardless of his kinship and involvement in the Jewish family. The absence of Jewish roots implies a multi-stage procedure for obtaining citizenship, but on the other hand it is an opportunity to live in a stable and developing country.