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Does Israel limit how many foreign workers can be employed, and how do sector quotas affect a B/1 visa?

Yes. Israel runs a quota system rather than an open work-visa market. The government fixes an annual ceiling for each sector under the Foreign Workers Law 5751-1991, and the Population and Immigration Authority issues employer permits only within that ceiling, so a job offer on its own does not produce a B/1 visa. The quota sectors are construction, agriculture, long-term caregiving, hotels, ethnic cooking and industry. The B/1 expert track sits outside the sector quotas and imposes a salary floor instead.

The permit belongs to the employer, not to the worker. An Israeli employer applies to the Foreign Workers Administration for an employment permit, a heter ha’asaka, and only once that permit exists can the worker be issued a B/1 visa under the Entry into Israel Law 5712-1952. Quota numbers are set by government resolution each year on the recommendation of an inter-ministerial committee, and they can be revised mid-year. Recruitment in the quota sectors runs through bilateral agreements with countries including the Philippines, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Moldova, Bulgaria and India, administered with the International Organization for Migration to keep recruitment fees out of the process.

For a professional coming to Israel the realistic route is the expert permit rather than a quota slot, because expert permits are assessed on the individual role and salary and are not rationed by sector. The employer has to show the skills are not readily available locally and undertake to pay at least twice the national average wage. Permits are issued for a defined period and tie the worker to the named employer, so a change of job requires a new permit rather than a transfer, and working without a valid permit exposes both the worker and the employer to penalties.

⚖ In Practice
  • Governing law: Foreign Workers Law 5751-1991; visas issued under the Entry into Israel Law 5712-1952
  • Competent authority: Population and Immigration Authority (Rashut HaOchlusin VeHaHagira), Foreign Workers Administration
  • Quota sectors: construction, agriculture, long-term caregiving, hotels, ethnic cooking and industry, with ceilings fixed by annual government resolution
  • Expert track: outside the sector quotas, but subject to a salary floor of roughly twice the national average wage, approximately NIS 25,000–27,000 per month (2026)
  • Employer levy: broadly 15–20% of the foreign worker’s wages across most quota sectors, with long-term caregiving and agriculture exempt
  • Timeline: an employer permit application commonly takes 30–90 days, and the resulting permit ties the worker to that employer alone

From the full guide: Sponsoring a Foreign Employee’s B/1 Work Permit in Israel: What Every Employer Must Know

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Get a Free Consultation with Adv. Eli ShimonyPrepared under the direction of Adv. Eli Shimony, Eli Shimony Law Office · Editorial policy

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