What happens to a foreign worker's visa in Israel if she becomes pregnant?

The Entry into Israel Law gives the Interior Minister wide discretion over permits, exercised in practice through published procedures administered by the Population and Immigration Authority. That discretion is not unlimited. In HCJ 11437/05 Kav LaOved v. Ministry of the Interior (2011), the Supreme Court invalidated the arrangement under which a pregnant foreign caregiver had to choose between her permit and her child. Status is now examined case by case, and the central question is whether the worker continues to perform the employment for which the permit was granted. Running alongside this, Section 9 of the Women's Employment Law 5714-1954 prohibits an employer from dismissing an employee with six months' service while she is pregnant without a permit from the Ministry of Labour, and this protection applies to foreign workers.

Practical steps matter more than legal theory here. Notify the employer of the pregnancy in writing and keep a copy, because the dismissal protection turns on the employer's knowledge. Birth in Israel does not give the baby Israeli citizenship where both parents are foreign nationals, so the child needs a separate status document from PIBA and registration with the parents' own embassy. A worker holding a valid B/1 work permit is insured with Bituach Leumi and can claim maternity benefits, subject to the qualifying contribution period. Where a permit is nonetheless cancelled or not renewed, the decision can be appealed within the PIBA appeals framework, and several Israeli NGOs represent foreign workers in these cases without charge.

From the full guide: Work Visas in Israel: Types, Requirements, and How to Apply

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