In today’s world, mixed couples- couples with citizenship of different countries- are increasingly common. Thus, for foreign citizens who are in a romantic relationship with a citizen or permanent resident of Israel but are not officially married to them, there is a special procedure for obtaining legal status on the basis of the relationship (if the foreigner is out of Israel) or on the basis of a shared household if the couple is in Israel. The instruction defines the conditions and requirements for obtaining legal status in Israel for a foreigner who is in a romantic relationship with an Israeli, which is called a joint life application.
What conditions under the instructions shall be met in order to receive legal status?
First of all, applicants shall prove that they are actually living together as a family if they are both in Israel. This may require providing various documents such as apartment bills, rental agreements, photographs and other materials that prove the relationship and shared household.
The application shall be submitted to the branch of the Ministry of Interior at the couple’s (or Israeli’s) place of residence. The submission is done online. It should be taken into account that the process of consideration may take a long time, as each application is considered individually. When submitting the application, it is necessary to provide personal documents of the foreign partner, certified by Apostille and notarized in Hebrew, documents confirming the sincerity of the couple’s relationship, as well as to pay the appropriate fee.
After consideration of the application, verifying the submitted documents and conducting the interview, the applicant will be granted a work visa. It should be remembered that this visa is issued for one year and requires annual renewal.
After three years with a work visa, the applicant is entitled to ask for a temporary residence permit which allows for an Israeli ID card and public health insurance.
After four years with a temporary residence permit, the applicant is entitled to apply for a permanent residence permit.
The instructions on cohabitation deal with various special cases such as separation, death of a partner or other circumstances that may affect the status of the foreign partner. In such cases, the procedure for obtaining legal status will be different and based on other instructions of the Ministry of Interior.
Significant aspects
- In some cases, the application may be rejected. This may happen if the evidence provided is deemed insufficient or if there is doubt about the sincerity of the couple’s relationship.
- After obtaining permanent residency status, the foreigner’s partner is eligible to apply for citizenship.
Obtaining legal status on the basis of cohabitation in Israel is a complex and lengthy process that requires careful preparation and the submission of many documents. However, with the right approach and compliance with all requirements, it is possible. If you have any questions or difficulties, it is advisable to contact an immigration law specialist.