Citizenship – a status which includes all the rights and duties. It is granted to Jews, their partners or a Jewish family by virtue of the Law of Return, and to partners of Israelis according to the Citizenship Law.
Permanent residency – a permanent status in Israel. Individuals with permanent residency enjoy all the social rights granted to Israeli citizens, including the right to vote and to be elected to local municipalities. Permanent residents cannot vote for the Knesset (Israeli Parliament), nor can they hold an Israeli passport. They are free to leave and enter Israel, but in order to do so, they have to obtain a special permit beforehand (an entry-visa issued beforehand and as long as their travel documents are valid.) The entry law into Israel allows the Minister of Interior to revoke an individual’s permanent residency if that individual has moved her/his center of live outside of Israel for a period of seven years.
Temporary residency A5 visa – this status grants the individual a work permit and, after 186 days, full social rights. This temporary status is usually renewed annually, and decided upon by the authorities. This type of status is usually granted to women going through the graduated procedure in their process of applying for permanent status (permanent residency or citizenship by virtue of being married to an Israeli citizen or a permanent resident in Israel). Receiving the visa depends on evidence that changes from one case to the other, according to procedures. In each case, the individual has to prove that her/his center of life is in Israel. If the status is granted on humanitarian grounds and not according to a specific procedure, then, according to the procedure of changing status from A5 to permanent residency, and following four years of such status, a request can be filed for permanent residency. In reality, however, despite these and other procedures, many women are left with this status for years. Among other reasons, this is due to the fact that these women are not aware that according to law, a woman’s status cannot be examined “forever” and that after a number of years during which she has proven that her center of life is in Israel and that her personal circumstances have not changed, she should receive permanent residency.
B1 visiting visa – a visiting (tourist) visa with a work permit. This type of visa is usually granted to migrant workers and to spouses of Israeli citizens in the first stages of the graduated procedure. This status does not grant health insurance or national insurance rights. The B1 visa is also granted to women victims of trafficking – decided upon by the Ministry of Interior – for a rehabilitation year in Israel. Many women, as well as professionals assisting them, are not always aware of this option, and therefore this option is often not pursued to its fullest.
