The Cabinet, at its weekly meeting on Sunday Rosh Chodesh Kislev, approved Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s and Absorption Minister Sofa Landver’s plan to ease the absorption of new immigrants in to the labor market in various professions. The steps that have been approved are part of a variety of recommendations for removing impediments to the employment of new immigrants in Israel that were formulated in recent months by an inter-ministerial committee.

The steps will enable immigrants who are still abroad to know how the State of Israel will adopt and recognize their professions on the day they arrive in Israel; they will be able to put everything in order while still abroad and to quickly integrate into the labor market (for example, licenses for doctors, physical therapists, architects and other professionals).

The move was led by Aliyah and Immigrant Absorption Ministry Director General Oded Forer, with the assistance of Prime Minister’s Office Director-General Harel Locker, out of the recognition that dispelling concerns regarding employment for, and giving certainty to, new immigrants is an important tool in encouraging immigration. The move was carried out in coordination with the various relevant ministries and in order to remove employment impediments faced by new immigrants in the regulations of the various ministries.

All ministries will allow potential immigrants to 1) submit prior to their immigration – online applications for documents to be examined vis-à-vis approval in principle or in order to receive more detailed requirements ahead of completing the licensing process in Israel, and 2) submit an online application for a license.

Prime Minister Netanyahu said, “The plan that we approved today is not only a tool to encourage aliyah but it is a strategic tool to advance the Israeli economy and society. Thanks to these and other steps that we will carry out we will be able to bring tens of thousands of additional immigrants per annum, which will significantly contribute to growth in Israel.”

Absorption Minister Landver added, “This is an important step in encouraging aliyah and in easing the process for integrating new immigrants into employment in Israel, which will certainly contribute to the economy. These steps are part of a pattern of activity that focus on improving the link between new immigrants and the Aliyah and Immigrant Absorption Ministry’s efforts to meet their needs. All of this is in order to simplify the decision to immigrate to Israel.”

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)