The State Department raised its travel advisory for Israel to Level 4. The U.S. Embassy Jerusalem issued a security alert on June 16 directing all U.S. government employees and their families to continue to shelter in place in and near their residences until further notice. The embassy is currently not able to evacuate or directly assist Americans in departing Israel.

Key Points:

  • Level 4 is the highest travel advisory category, warning U.S. citizens to not travel to specified countries or regions. The advisory also applies to the West Bank and Gaza.
  • The conflict between Israel and Iran has escalated in recent weeks, leading to increased security concerns and prompting the U.S. government to issue this advisory.
  • The U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem and the U.S. Embassy Branch Office in Tel Aviv will be closed Tuesday, June 17 and until further notice. Emergency and regular passports and other consular services, including visa services, will not be available.
  • Ben Gurion Airport remains closed with no operational commercial or charter flights. Israeli seaports are also closed until further notice.
  • For the latest security updates and to facilitate Embassy contact in case of an emergency, U.S. citizens should enroll in the State Department’s Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) if they have not already done so.
  • Regularly monitoring the State Department’s travel advisories for Israel, the West Bank, Gaza is advised.
  • The security alert provides additional actions to take and resources to help in response to security incidents including information on land crossings to Jordan and Egypt.

Additional Information: On June 14, the Department of State authorized the voluntary departure of family members and non-emergency U.S. government employees. Given the complex and constantly changing security environment, the U.S. Embassy reminds U.S. citizens of the continued need for caution and increased personal security awareness. Because security incidents often take place without any warning, U.S. citizens should know the location of the nearest shelter in the event of a “red alert” during which mortar, rocket, missile fire and unmanned aircraft system intrusions can occur.

BAL will continue to monitor the situation and provide updates.

This alert has been provided by the BAL U.S. Practice Group.

Copyright © 2025 Berry Appleman & Leiden LLP. All rights reserved. Reprinting or digital redistribution to the public is permitted only with the express written permission of Berry Appleman & Leiden LLP. For inquiries, please contact copyright@bal.com.

In response to the ongoing security situation in Israel, the Population and Immigration Authority announced that visas for foreign nationals staying legally in Israel, that were valid as of June 12, 2025, are automatically extended until Sept. 30, 2025.

Key Points:

  • The visa extension applies to holders of the following visa types:
    • B/1 General Work Visa
    • B/2 Tourist Visa
    • B/4 Volunteer Visa
    • A/1 Temporary Resident Visa
    • A/2 Student Visa (excluding agricultural trainees)
    • A/3 Clergy Visa
    • A/4 Companion Visa
    • A/5 Temporary Resident Visa
    • DCL permit for family reunifications and humanitarian
  • The extension automatically applies to all relevant visa holders, so no application, formal request or other action is required.

This alert has been provided by the BAL Global Practice Group.

Copyright © 2025 Berry Appleman & Leiden LLP. All rights reserved. Reprinting or digital redistribution to the public is permitted only with the express written permission of Berry Appleman & Leiden LLP. For inquiries, please contact copyright@bal.com.

The Canadian government announced it will not accept new applications under the Parents and Grandparents Program in 2025.

Key Points:

  • The Parents and Grandparents Program allows sponsoring Canadian citizens or permanent residents to bring parents and grandparents to Canada as permanent residents.
  • Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has announced that no new permanent resident visa applications made by parents or grandparents of a sponsor and no sponsorship applications made in relation to those applications will be processed in 2025.
  • IRCC intends to process a maximum of 15,000 family sponsorship applications in 2025, and they will only process applications that were received in 2024 unless a new intake for the 2025 calendar year is implemented.

Additional Information: The measure aligns with the government’s 2025-27 Immigration Levels Plan and strategy to reduce permanent resident targets over the next three years. The government is implementing new measures to reduce permanent resident targets to 395,000 in 2025.

This alert has been provided by the BAL Global Practice Group.

Copyright © 2025 Berry Appleman & Leiden LLP. All rights reserved. Reprinting or digital redistribution to the public is permitted only with the express written permission of Berry Appleman & Leiden LLP. For inquiries, please contact copyright@bal.com.

As a reminder, the Marom Electronic Travel Authorization — Israel (ETA-IL) is now in effect, and all tourists and business travelers from visa-exempt countries must obtain an ETA-IL form approval before arriving in Israel.

Key Points:

  • As BAL reported, the Israeli Ministry of Interior postponed the launch of the new electronic travel authorization system to give individuals and companies more time to prepare.
  • Now in effect, the ETA-IL will be mandatory for all travelers from visa-exempt countries and will cost NIS 25 (about US$7) per visitor.

Additional Information: The system is designed to streamline the entry process for visa waiver nationals seeking short-term visits for purposes other than work, volunteering or studying. Once approved, the status is valid for up to two years and allows for stays of up to 90 days maximum per visit, with multiple-entry capabilities.

The online portal will still require individuals to obtain approval prior to their travel and does not replace the discretion of border control officials. Applications must be submitted electronically at least 72 hours before the expected entry date. The system is designed to provide instant approval to eligible travelers.

The government is launching the new system to modernize its entry procedures and provide a more seamless travel experience for visitors. In addition, the new system will attempt to strengthen security measures while continuing to effectively facilitate legitimate travel.

This alert has been provided by the BAL Global Practice Group.

Copyright © 2025 Berry Appleman & Leiden LLP. All rights reserved. Reprinting or digital redistribution to the public is permitted only with the express written permission of Berry Appleman & Leiden LLP. For inquiries, please contact copyright@bal.com.

Effective April 1, Israel’s minimum monthly salary will be updated to 6,248 NIS (about US$1,714) gross per month.

Key Points:

  • The new minimum monthly salary will apply to foreign nationals employed in short-term employment authorization programs, as well as to 2(a)(5) asylum and protection seekers and general B-1 visa holders.
  • Employers seeking to obtain or renew a work permit or who have a pending application on or after April 1 must increase the foreign national’s minimum salary to comply with the new rule. Immigration applications that do not meet the minimum salary will be rejected.
  • The minimum monthly salary update is designed to help align wages with the rising cost of living.

Additional Information: The government also increased application processing fees for 2025, including raising the work permit submission fee to 1,390 NIS. Other notable fee increases include the B-1 work visa and multiple-entry visa rising to 200 NIS and the B-1 one-year employer fee increasing to 11,060 NIS.

Employers hiring foreign nationals must guarantee that their employees receive at least the updated minimum salary and should take the new increased minimum monthly salary and filing fees into account when planning their 2025 budgets.

This alert has been provided by the BAL Global Practice Group.

Copyright © 2025 Berry Appleman & Leiden LLP. All rights reserved. Reprinting or digital redistribution to the public is permitted only with the express written permission of Berry Appleman & Leiden LLP. For inquiries, please contact copyright@bal.com.

Israeli officials announced the Marom Electronic Travel Authorization — Israel (ETA-IL) will take effect on Jan. 1, 2025.

Key Points:

  • As BAL reported, the Israeli Ministry of Interior postponed the launch of the new electronic travel authorization system to give individuals and companies more time to prepare.
  • The system is designed to streamline the entry process for visa waiver nationals seeking short-term visits for purposes other than work, volunteering or studying.
  • Once approved, the status is valid for up to two years and allows for stays of up to 90 days maximum per visit, with multiple-entry capabilities.
  • Beginning Jan. 1, 2025, the ETA-IL will be mandatory for all travelers from visa-exempt countries and will cost NIS 25 (about US$26) per visitor.

Additional Information: The online portal will still require individuals to obtain approval prior to their travel and does not replace the discretion of border control officials. Applications must be submitted electronically at least 72 hours before the expected entry date. The system is designed to provide instant approval to eligible travelers.

BAL Analysis: The government is launching the new system to modernize its entry procedures and provide a more seamless travel experience for visitors. In addition, the new system will attempt to strengthen security measures while continuing to effectively facilitate legitimate travel.

This alert has been provided by the BAL Global Practice Group.

Copyright © 2024 Berry Appleman & Leiden LLP. All rights reserved. Reprinting or digital redistribution to the public is permitted only with the express written permission of Berry Appleman & Leiden LLP. For inquiries, please contact copyright@bal.com.

Israeli officials have announced that the new electronic travel authorization system (Marom ETA – IL) has been postponed to Jan. 2025.

Key Points:

  • As BAL previously reported, it was originally expected that the new system would be implemented Aug. 1.
  • The system is designed to streamline the entry process for visa waiver nationals seeking short-term visits for purposes other than work, volunteering or studying.
  • Once approved, the status is valid for up to two years, and allows for stays of up to 90 days maximum per visit with multiple entry capabilities.

Additional Information: The online portal will still require individuals to obtain approval prior to their travel and does not replace the discretion of border control officials. Applications must be submitted electronically at least 72 hours before the expected entry date. The system is designed to provide instant approval.

BAL Analysis: The government is launching the system to modernize its entry procedures while also strengthening security measures.

This alert has been provided by the BAL Global Practice Group.

Copyright © 2024 Berry Appleman & Leiden LLP. All rights reserved. Reprinting or digital redistribution to the public is permitted only with the express written permission of Berry Appleman & Leiden LLP. For inquiries, please contact copyright@bal.com.

Israeli officials announced that its new electronic travel authorization system (Marom ETA-IL) will be implemented as of Aug. 1.

Key Points:

  • The system is designed to streamline the entry process for visa-waiver nationals seeking short-term visits for purposes other than work, volunteering or studying.
  • Once approved, the multiple-entry status is valid for up to two years and allows for stays of up to 90 days per visit.

Additional Information: The online portal will still require individuals to obtain approval prior to their travel and does not replace the discretion of border control officials. Applications must be submitted electronically at least 72 hours before the expected entry date. The system is designed to provide instant approval.

BAL Analysis: The government is launching the system to modernize its entry procedures while also strengthening security measures.

This alert has been provided by the BAL Global Practice Group.

Copyright © 2024 Berry Appleman & Leiden LLP. All rights reserved. Reprinting or digital redistribution to the public is permitted only with the express written permission of Berry Appleman & Leiden LLP. For inquiries, please contact copyright@bal.com.

Israeli officials have announced that foreign employees in the non-expert category within the industry sector now have until April 14 to submit their work permit applications.

Key Points:

  • The deadline was previously March 21, and was extended again to March 31. The submission deadline has now been confirmed for April 14, and the Ministry of Interior will not accept any applications for work permits in this category after April 14.
  • Employers must have already received a recommendation from the Ministry of Economy and Welfare to apply.

BAL Analysis: The government extended the visas of all foreign workers in the hotel sector only until March 31, 2024. The government also granted a three-month extension to the work licenses for all foreign workers in the domestic nursing and agriculture sectors. An automatic extension for any other foreign worker visa category has not been announced. As such, in the absence of clear government guidelines, clients should consider options carefully and employers should be aware of the expiration dates for their respective employment permits.

This alert has been provided by the BAL Global Practice Group.

Copyright © 2024 Berry Appleman & Leiden LLP. All rights reserved. Reprinting or digital redistribution to the public is permitted only with the express written permission of Berry Appleman & Leiden LLP. For inquiries, please contact copyright@bal.com.

 

 

Effective April 1, Israel’s minimum monthly salary will be updated to 5,880 NIS (about US$1,600) gross per month.

Key Points:

• The new minimum monthly salary will apply to foreign nationals employed in short-term employment authorization programs, as well as to 2(a)(5) asylum and protection seekers and general B-1 visa holders.

• Employers seeking to obtain or renew a work permit or who have a pending application on or after April 1 must increase the foreign national’s minimum salary to comply with the new rule. Immigration applications that do not meet the minimum salary will be rejected.

• The minimum monthly salary update is designed to help align wages with the rising cost of living.

BAL Analysis: Employers hiring foreign nationals must guarantee that their employees receive at least the updated minimum salary. Businesses may see an increase in labor costs because of the new minimum wage. Employers should take the new minimum monthly salary into account when planning their 2024 budgets.

This alert has been provided by the BAL Global Practice Group.

Copyright © 2024 Berry Appleman & Leiden LLP. All rights reserved. Reprinting or digital redistribution to the public is permitted only with the express written permission of Berry Appleman & Leiden LLP. For inquiries, please contact copyright@bal.com.