United States government escalates its unfriendly posture towards Israeli citizens wishing to study, work, or invest in America
Copyright: Krokodyl [CC BY 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0)]
Without any advanced warning, the United States of America moved today to drastically reduce the terms of visas given to Israelis seeking to study, work, or invest in America.
As the result of this action, the term of the popular relocation or L-1 visa given to Israelis, usually employed by hi-tech multinationals, who relocate to work in America was shortened from five to four years. E-1 type work visa term was shortened from 60 months to 52 months, and the F-1 student visa term was reduced from 60 months to 42 months.
Additionally, the newly instituted (for Israelis) E-2 investor visas, which are normally granted for five years were shortened to only two.
This dramatic action singles Israel out for unfair treatment compared to other countries and its practical implications are that Israelis who are working, studying, or investing in America will have to travel back to Israel and apply for extensions on their visas, extensions that are far from being guaranteed.
The newly shortened visa terms, especially the two year investor visa term, make it far riskier for Israelis to seek academic, career, or business advancement in the United States.
