The A/2 licence covers study only. A guide to renewal, the work ban, reporting dropouts, and appeal/detention proceedings. We advise students and institutions.
If you are staying in Israel on an A/2 residence licence — as a degree student at an institution of higher education, a participant in an academic program or a pre-academic preparatory program, a postdoctoral researcher, or an agricultural trainee — the licence you hold is granted for one purpose only: studies. It is not a work licence, not a general stay licence, and it does not entitle you to remain in Israel after your studies have ended or stopped.
The gap between the date printed on the licence and its purpose is the source of most of the problems we see. A student who dropped out, a trainee who left the training placement to work, or someone whose institution ended their enrollment, may discover that their stay became unlawful months before the date recorded in their passport, and that they are exposed to arrest, a removal order, and detention. This article explains how an A/2 licence is granted and renewed, what it permits, what happens when studies stop, and what proceedings are available to you.
Section 1 of the Entry into Israel Law, 5712-1952 provides that a foreign national has no vested right to enter the gates of the state, and Sections 2 and 6 of the Law authorize the Minister of Interior to grant visas and licences and to set conditions for their grant and renewal. Regulation 6(b) of the Entry into Israel Regulations, 5734-1974 is the source of the visa for staying in Israel for the purpose of studies or training.
The criteria are set out in Procedure 5.8.0002 (the procedure for granting and extending an A/2 residence licence to foreign pupils and students at institutions of higher education). Under clause ב.1 of the Procedure, as a rule the application is submitted at an Israeli mission in the country of origin, or in Israel by the inviting institution, before the applicant enters the country. Clause ב.2 permits, in exceptional cases, filing the application in Israel by someone who already holds another residence licence, in which case the decision rests with the bureau director. Clause ב.3 conditions the licence on proof of acceptance to a recognized institution. The tribunals have clarified that filing from abroad is not a technical requirement but a substantive condition demonstrating genuine intent, and that meeting all the conditions of the Procedure does not confer a right to a visa (Appeal (Jerusalem) 2443-24 (2 Dec 2024)).
Clause ב.5 of the Procedure sets the time frame: the licence is granted for one year at a time, up to four years in total for the same degree; for a doctoral student or a postdoctoral researcher, up to five years in total. An extension beyond these periods, and likewise an extension for an additional or different degree at the same institution, requires the approval of the institution's rector and is referred to the bureau director's decision (clause ד.16). The bureau director is authorized to refuse if it appears that the licence is being used to settle permanently, to abuse the terms of the degree, or that the duration of the studies is unreasonable.
Under clause ד.14, every renewal application must be accompanied by proof of completion of the previous year's studies: institutional confirmation that the studies were completed, confirmation of continued studies and their scope, and proof of means of subsistence. Clause ד.15 clarifies that on every renewal an inquiry is sent to the police regarding a criminal record or intelligence information, and where necessary also to the security agencies, and the applicant's current status is checked. It is also important to know clause ב.12: if non-compliance with the Procedure or a failure to provide full information is found, the Authority may revoke the licence — subject to holding a hearing for the licence holder.
Clause ב.4 of the Procedure provides that, as a rule, an A/2 licence holder is prohibited from working in Israel during the period of studies. Violating this prohibition is the most common ground for arrest and revocation of the licence.
The rule has two exceptions. The first, in clause ד.18 of the Procedure, refers to Regulation 11(c) of the Entry into Israel Regulations and requires cumulative conditions: the applicant studies at a university that is a recognized institution; they are studying for at least a master's degree; the work is teaching assistance or instruction in their field of study and at the university where they study; and it is part-time only. Even then, a detailed letter from the authorized party at the institution is required.
The second exception is the high-tech track. Under Section 8 of Procedure 5.3.0043 (the procedure for handling applications by high-tech and cyber companies for the employment and regularization of the status of foreign experts in Israel, edition 4), a foreign student whose details are listed in a high-tech company's employment permit may work there part-time on an A/2 licence. Section 9 conditions this on continuing studies in one of the high-tech professions: if the student stops their studies, the company is prohibited from continuing to employ them, and continued employment is conditioned on an application for a permit to employ them as a foreign expert at expert-level pay. A person seeking to move from student status to another track — a spouse of an Israeli, a foreign expert, or a change of status to "oleh" (for example, under Procedure 5.8.0005 for participants in the Na'aleh program) — requires a separate process.
The expiry date printed on the licence is not the whole story. The licence is granted on the basis of active studies at the institution, and the institution reports to the Population and Immigration Authority anyone who has abandoned the program. From the date of the report — not the date the licence expires — the stay in Israel is considered unlawful.
The clearest example arises from the Detention Review Tribunal's decision in case 1531-08-26 (18 Aug 2026): an agricultural trainee entered Israel in October 2025 on an A/2 licence valid until 26 Aug 2026; the training program reported that he had abandoned it on 21 Jan 2026, and the Tribunal held that from that date he remained in Israel unlawfully — about seven months before the date printed on the licence. He was arrested in an enforcement operation, found to be working in violation of the terms of his visa, given a hearing before revocation of the licence and before the Border Control Officer under Section 13A(d) of the Law, and removal and detention orders were issued against him.
Therefore, if you have stopped your studies or the institution has notified that your enrollment has ended, do not assume the licence still protects you: you must act without delay to regularize your status or plan an orderly departure. Academic institutions, for their part, are required to ensure that the reports they submit are accurate and up to date — a report has an immediate effect on the student's status.
Anyone found staying or working in Israel unlawfully is brought to a hearing, following which a removal order and a detention order may be issued against them. The Law requires that the detainee be brought before the Detention Review Tribunal promptly after arrest (Sections 13יד and 13טו of the Entry into Israel Law), and the Tribunal examines whether the release grounds under Section 13F(a) of the Law are met: among others, whether the unlawful stay stems from a good-faith mistake or malfunction; whether it can be relied upon that the person will leave Israel on their own by a date to be set for them and that there will be no difficulty locating them; whether age or a medical condition justifies release; and whether special humanitarian grounds exist.
In practice, when a person is found working in violation of the terms of their visa, the tribunals tend to confirm the detention order. Thus, in a decision dated 6 Sep 2026 in case 1677-09-26, the Tribunal considered the case of an agriculture student who left his studies to work and on whose behalf an asylum application was later filed and rejected; the Tribunal found that no good-faith mistake had been proven and confirmed the order. This is a recurring pattern. A decision of the Detention Review Tribunal may be appealed to the District Court sitting as the Court for Administrative Affairs within 45 days.
A bureau's decision to refuse an application to grant or renew an A/2 licence may be challenged by way of an internal appeal. Under clause ב.2.ב of Procedure 1.6.0001 (the procedure for receiving applications and appeals against decisions of the bureaus and the headquarters of the Population and Immigration Authority), the appeal must be filed in writing without delay and no later than 21 days from the date the decision was received.
Once the internal process has been exhausted, an appeal may be filed with the Appeals Tribunal for immigration matters under Section 13כד of the Entry into Israel Law — as a rule within 30 days and without delay. A decision of the Tribunal may be appealed to the District Court sitting as the Court for Administrative Affairs within 45 days.
Since the academic calendar does not wait, alongside the appeal you should consider an application for an interim order; in such an application the Tribunal examines the prospects of the appeal and the balance of convenience (Appeal (Tel Aviv) 2707-26 (23 Jul 2026)). When the licence has already expired, an interim order may be the difference between saving the academic year and losing it.
Delay in issuing a decision. In Administrative Appeal (Tel Aviv) 64420-10-25 (23 Nov 2025), an application to extend a student visa was filed in February 2025, and the decision was issued only in October — after two appeals and repeated, unanswered inquiries. The court held that there was no justification for this conduct, that a prolonged and unexplained failure to respond may justify granting the very relief sought, and that the extension of the academic year due to the war should not be held against the applicant. The Authority was ordered to issue the A/2 visa immediately and to pay costs. The lesson: document every inquiry, and do not wait indefinitely.
Flaws in the refusal decision. In Appeal (Tel Aviv) 2302-25 (17 Sep 2025), a refusal decision was set aside where it had held that the application could only be filed at a mission abroad, without addressing at all the exception in clause ב.2 of the Procedure, and where it had attributed to the appellant an "immigration history" contrary to the facts. The Tribunal remanded the matter for reconsideration under clause ב.2, ordered the grant of a temporary A/2 licence for three months so as not to delay the start of the academic year, and awarded costs.
Concern of permanent settlement. By contrast, where it emerges from the applicant's history that the application is being used as a pretext to extend their stay, the tribunals do not intervene. In Appeal (Jerusalem) 2443-24 (2 Dec 2024), an appeal was dismissed for someone who had stayed in Israel for years under cover of various applications, and it was held that the concern of permanent settlement is a substantive consideration — especially for a visa granted for a limited period and a defined purpose. The same occurred in Appeal (Jerusalem) 3690-25 (26 Feb 2026), following an asylum application that turned out to be frivolous.
Departure from the purpose of the licence. In Appeal (Tel Aviv) 2707-26 (23 Jul 2026), an application for an interim order to renew an A/2 licence was denied, among other things because the appellant had taken part in activities departing from the purpose of the licence. The conclusion: conduct inconsistent with the purpose of studying may work against you in a renewal application.
Our office assists foreign students, trainees, and academic institutions at every stage of the A/2 licence: applications and renewals with the bureaus, responding to document requests and to a hearing before licence revocation, internal appeals and appeals to the Appeals Tribunal, applications for interim orders, representation before the Detention Review Tribunal, and appeals to the District Court. We examine the facts as they truly are, present them to the Authority in an organized and documented manner, and explain in advance what the realistic options are and what the risks are.
Clause ב.5 of Procedure 5.8.0002 provides that the licence is granted for one year at a time, up to four years in total for the same degree. For a doctoral student or a postdoctoral researcher, the cap is five years in total. An extension beyond that, or for an additional degree at the same institution, requires the rector's approval and rests with the bureau director's decision under clause ד.16.
As a rule, no. Clause ב.4 of Procedure 5.8.0002 prohibits working in Israel during the period of studies. There are two main exceptions: part-time teaching assistance or instruction at the university where you study, for a student pursuing at least a master's degree (clause ד.18), and part-time employment at a high-tech company holding an employment permit under Sections 8-9 of Procedure 5.3.0043. Working outside these exceptions puts the licence at risk.
Not necessarily. The institution reports to the Authority anyone who abandons their studies, and from the date of the report the stay is considered unlawful even if the date on the licence has not yet passed. This was held, for example, in the Detention Review Tribunal's decision in case 1531-08-26 (18 Aug 2026), where the report of abandonment preceded the licence's expiry date by about seven months. In such a situation you should act immediately to regularize your status or plan a departure.
An internal appeal must be filed in writing without delay and no later than 21 days from the date the decision was received, under clause ב.2.ב of Procedure 1.6.0001. After exhausting the internal process, an appeal may be filed with the Appeals Tribunal under Section 13כד of the Entry into Israel Law, as a rule within 30 days and without delay. A decision of the Tribunal may be appealed to the District Court within 45 days. It is advisable to consider an application for an interim order at the same time.
You can file an appeal over the failure to respond, and carefully document every inquiry and reply. In Administrative Appeal (Tel Aviv) 64420-10-25 (23 Nov 2025), it was held that an eight-month delay in deciding on a student visa extension, without reasons and without responding to inquiries, justifies granting the very relief sought, and the Authority was ordered to issue the visa immediately. As a rule, the more real the harm to the academic year, the greater the chance of relief.