The Biden administration will pass legislation that will ease extending work visas for Israelis in the U.S., the Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday.
This is part of the administration's efforts to reduce waiting times for visas at the American Embassy in Israel.
The initiative eliminates the current requirement for those who hold U.S. work visas to arrive at the Embassy in Israel in order to apply for renewal. Consequently, the consulate workers will have less workload, and more availability for interviews to approve travel visas, thus minimizing the long wait times for such.
L1 and H1B type visas are the two main relocation visas that Israelis in the hi-tech industry hold, and their holders will benefit most from this initiative.
Furthermore, on March 1, 2023, a lottery will open for companies interested in employing foreign managers and experts as part of the October 2023 quota.
"I wish I could just pass on my passport to Washington DC instead of having to go through this process in Tel Aviv," said Yoav, VP of Customer Service at the office of an Israeli high-tech company in New York, who arrived in Israel this week for a visa renewal. "I had to come with my wife and with the kids. Although our families are very happy to see us and the grandchildren, but for us, because of the waiting times at the Embassy, this means that we have to be absent from our workplace and from the kindergartens for a month."
The most significant step in reducing waiting times for appointments at the U.S. Embassy will be to grant Israelis visa exemption. According to Foreign Minister Eli Cohen, steps towards passing the exemption are already underway, and expected to pass this summer.