Many Filipino citizens residing in Israel are entitled to either permanent or temporary legal status.
Ram Schachter law firm has in recent years handled dozens of cases of Filipino citizens facing deportation or whose applications for a work permit, temporary or permanent residency or citizenship were rejected by the Ministry of Interior.
Israeli citizenship or residency is required for those wishing to live and work permanently in Israel and have access to all rights. A citizen/resident of Israel can start a family with an Israeli or foreign partner and receive citizenship for their children.
Israeli citizens are entitled to receive an Israeli passport, to vote and to be elected, and to receive social and medical assistance from the Israeli authorities as part of social security and HMO (Health Maintenance Organizations, called “kupat holim” in Hebrew).
Israel provides its citizens with social security as part of their unemployment benefits. Other social rights and benefits provided to Israeli citizens include stipends for the elderly and child allowances, professional training and integration in the economy (via the Unemployment Office), a discount on mortgages when buying a house and public housing for the disadvantaged.
Israeli citizens are entitled to protest and to unite or unionize in order to influence public life and bring about social, economic and political changes.
Even if you were not born in Israel, you can start the process of obtaining citizenship via certain streams of Judaism, religious conversion, family unification (common law or civil marriage), and on humanitarian grounds.
Procedures and protocols for citizenship/residency are held in the Population and Immigration Border Authority (PIBA) in the Ministry of Interior. They are governed by complex procedures created by the Ministry of Interior, government committees and the courts (the Supreme Court, the administrative court and the court of appeals).
The decision to grant citizenship/residency is in the hands of officials and representatives in PIBA. They make these decisions according to the documents and information submitted to them and the hearing (interview) conducted under the appropriate conditions.
It is very important that documents and information submitted to PIBA accurately record the specific data of each case, and that applicants will be ready for questions asked at the hearing.
If the officials and representatives of the Ministry of Interior form a negative impression, it might lead to the request for citizenship/residency being rejected.
Thorough knowledge of all the laws, regulations and rulings, as well as familiarity with the way representatives of the Ministry of Interior have previously acted in similar cases, can make the difference between acceptance and rejection.
Our firm has extensive knowledge of the legislation, regulations and relevant rulings regarding the acquisition of Israeli citizenship.
We have represented clients throughout many complex and difficult citizenship applications, and have argued cases at PIBA the Ministry of Interior and in all the different court systems.
It is very important for citizenship and residency applications to be conducted properly from the first submission.
Inaccurate claims or use of incorrect documents can lead to the Ministry of Interior rejecting the request.
If you receive a negative response from the Ministry of Interior, you can attempt to reverse the decision via legal proceedings in the Ministry of Interior, committees, and the various courts.
Working closely with an attorney who specializes in immigration policy will greatly improve your chances of getting legal status in Israel in the shortest time possible.
