![\"visa](\"https:\/\/lawfirmbackup_200125.k1uagm.ap-southeast-2.wpstaqhosting.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/buffer-1143485_640-300x179.jpg\")
<\/p>\nuabb domain was triggered too early. This is usually an indicator for some code in the plugin or theme running too early. Translations should be loaded at the init action or later. Please see Debugging in WordPress for more information. (This message was added in version 6.7.0.) in /var/www/sites/lawfirmbackup_200125/wordpress/wp-includes/functions.php on line 6131What does the term visa-free countries to Israel mean? There are almost 100\u00a0countries\u00a0whose citizens do not need visas to enter\u00a0Israel. Ostensibly, a citizen of this country can freely enter Israel for three months on a B-2 Israeli tourist visa without worrying about obtaining a visa to Israel in advance. However, in practice things are more complicated.<\/p>\n
In this article Advocate Joshua Pex, a lawyer from our law firm, will explain what the Israeli visa exemption program actually means and how entering into Israel might still be difficult for citizens of visa-free countries.<\/p>\n
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Citizens of countries that do not require visas to visit each other (for the most part, visa-exemption arrangements are mutual) can visit the other country without going through an application process for a visa in advance. Some visa-free countries with regard to Israel are visa exempt due to voting for the establishment of Israel in the UN vote of 1948. Others have friendly diplomatic or trade relationships with Israel. Others have no particular relationship with Israel but are members of the European Union, which has a visa-free policy with regard\u00a0to travel to Israel.<\/p>\n
Not quite. Or even, not at all. In some ways, citizens of countries which require visas to visit Israel in advance are at an advantage here in comparison to citizens of visa-free countries. On the one hand,\u00a0they have to pay the visa application fee and go through a long process with the Israeli Consulate in their home country. On the other hand, once they have passed the process and received their visa, it is highly unlikely that Israeli border control officers will deny entry or deport them, unless they act suspiciously at the border crossing into Israel.<\/p>\n
On the other hand, a tourist from a visa-free country who just took a\u00a0flight to visit Israel can (and possibly will) be held and deported by border control officials if they are suspicious. The Israeli border control authorities have very broad discretion and little need to justify their decision unless tasked to do so in court.<\/p>\n
There are two main issues the Israeli border control authorities are focused on: security concerns and illegal immigration. The security concerns are obvious: Is the person entering Israel with the intent of causing harm? Recent legislation has broadened the definition of harm to\u00a0ostensible intent to malign, defame, or cooperate in some way with organizations hostile to Israel.<\/p>\n
However, suspicion of illegal immigration is a more frequent issue for those who are denied entry to Israel. In this case, the border control authorities believe that the person intends to enter Israel as a tourist, then stay in Israel and work illegally without acquiring a work visa. There are certain formal and informal criteria involved in evaluating the ostensible intent to stay and work in Israel.<\/p>\n