Israel: Gas and Oil Companies Now Require Ministerial Recommendation to Employ Foreign Nationals
Employers in the gas and oil industry must now obtain a recommendation from the Ministry of Energy and Water Resources to sponsor foreign nationals for B-1 work permits, and in the future they may be required to train local workers to fill positions taken up by foreign workers.
All gas and oil companies in Israel are now required to obtain a written recommendation from the Ministry of Energy and Water Resources to sponsor foreign nationals for a B-1 work permit, effective July 1, 2012. Work permit applications that were pending when the new requirement took effect also require the recommendation.
Employers obtain a recommendation by submitting a petition to the Ministry of Energy and Water Resources outlining the project on which the foreign nationals will work and explaining the need for foreign workers. Employers that have already submitted petitions have also been asked to provide details of their plans to train local staff members to fill similar positions in the future.
The new requirement seeks to protect Israel’s local labor market. The recent discovery of natural gas in the Mediterranean Sea has propelled Israel into the natural gas and oil production industry. Because there is a shortage of local workers in Israel with the unique knowledge and expertise needed in the gas and oil industry, Israeli labor authorities want to ensure that employers will train local workers as well as recruit from abroad. In the future, gas and oil employers will likely be required to focus more heavily on local recruitment, with training and education programs for local Israeli staff progressively replacing foreign labor resources.
Fragomen is monitoring the new requirement’s implementation and will provide updates as they become available.
Fragomen worked closely with Kan-Tor & Acco Law Firm (Israel) to prepare this alert. It is for informational purposes only. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact the global immigration professional with whom you work at Fragomen Global Immigration Services or send an email to emea@fragomen.com.
Source: Fragomen