ISRAEL – Additional Approval Required for Oil and Gas Companies
Effective immediately, both local & multinational oil and gas employers in Israel are required to obtain a recommendation in writing from the Ministry of Energy & Water Resources in order to hire foreign national. This Ministerial recommendation must be included in the B-1 work permit application submitted to the Ministry of Interior.
Why The Change?
Following the recent discovery of a prodigious natural gas reserve in the Mediterranean Sea, Israel has found itself for the first time at the forefront of the natural gas industry and its related services, including offshore drilling and employee mobility.
The production of gas and oil, however, requires significant numbers of skilled employees holding unique knowledge and expertise, which cannot be found locally in Israel in these early stages of the evolving industry. As a result, offshore employees are generally recruited from overseas.
The new requirement for approval from the Ministry of Energy & Water Resources is intended to protect the local labour market.
What’s Next?
It is expected that in the near future, oil and gas employers will be required to show efforts to recruit locally, plus efforts to train local Israeli staff with the long term goal of replacing the foreign national employees.
Impact on Processing Time
The new requirement will doubtless have an impact on processing time but at this stage it is too early to say how long the new approval will take. Kan-Tor & Acco, Peregrine’s partner in Israel, is able to assist with the submission.
Action Items
- If your company is in the oil and gas industry, note the new requirement, with immediate effect and likely impact on processing times.
