After the interview: what happens next
Written by Alon, founder of IsraelVisa · Based on the procedures of the Population and Immigration Authority
Published: 6 November 2026
The short answer
The interview is not the end of the review. Under the procedures it is held, where possible, when the original documents are presented; the file then returns to the official for the remaining checks, and the decision comes later, in writing.
This article follows the file from that point, under procedures 5.2.0008 (edition 16, 20.07.2026), 5.2.0009 (edition 17, 16.07.2026) and 5.2.0011 (10.12.2020).
Who decides, and what else they may ask for
The first decision is the handling official's: satisfied of a sincere, exclusive relationship, a shared centre of life in Israel and no impediment, the official approves the start of the Gradual Process. Otherwise the file goes to the head of the visa team at the office, who refuses or, where a doubt remains, extends your licence by half a year and looks again at its end; then a decision on the merits must follow.
At any stage the office may call you to a further interview, ask for more documents or checks and require a bank guarantee; queries on the centre of life may go to the National Insurance Institute and the Ministry of Education. The three procedures do not mention a home visit. Abroad, a deeper interview may be ordered if a doubt arises, with written notice to the Israeli partner.
The time frames the procedures set
One deadline is yours: the completion request. If the documents you filed are insufficient or defective, the office sends a written list of what to supply; if it is not all in within 45 days the application is summarily refused. The head of the visa team may add up to 45 days, counted from the day you or your representative received the request. For spouses of permanent residents the list runs until the visa-department appointment; more time is asked for in writing from the office manager.
The Authority's side is less defined. At a representation abroad, the entry decision is as a rule due within 90 days of the complete file, or you are told in writing that more checks are needed. For a file handled in Israel the procedures set no number of days after the interview; the only frame is the interim licence of up to half a year and its half-year extension when a doubt remains.
The licence you hold while the file is pending
- Married to a citizen (5.2.0008): once all the documents are in, a general B/1 stay-and-work licence for up to six months, not counted in the Gradual Process.
- Shared life (5.2.0009): a B/2 tourist licence valid on the day you filed is extended until the checks end.
- Married to a permanent resident (5.2.0011): a valid licence is extended until the checks end; a partner without one is not removed until then.
- A trip abroad in this period needs a re-entry visa first; without it the licence lapses on departure.
Approval: the first licence and the next steps
When the start of the Gradual Process is approved, the office issues the first licence: an A/5 temporary residence licence for one year for the spouse of a citizen, or a B/1 for shared-life couples. With the first A/5 the office opens a personal file and issues the foreign partner an identity card.
The renewal is filed three months before the licence ends, and every extension is a fresh examination of the relationship. ETA-IL for the next trip and National Insurance after the new licence each have their own article.
A refusal: the reasons and the two routes
A refusal is given in writing with reasons, by email and registered mail, and must state the appeal options. When it rests on the interview findings, both of you are invited to the office, the notice is handed to you, the foreign partner must leave within 30 days (14 for unlawful stay) and any licence given under the procedure is cancelled.
The two routes: an internal appeal, filed in writing with the Authority no later than 21 days from the day you received the decision; and an appeal to the Appeals Tribunal within 30 days of the decision, with a fee of NIS 755 per the Tribunal's instruction sheet of 1.1.2026. The Tribunal's final decision can be appealed to the Administrative Affairs Court within 45 days. A new application is, as a rule, possible only a year after the last decision, unless the office manager accepts a clear change of circumstances.
When the file is silent
If the half year passes with no word, use the Authority's own channels. Decisions and completion requests go to the email address you gave in the online application: check it and keep every message with its date. The national call centre, *3450 (+972-74-7083450 from abroad), answers Sunday to Thursday, 08:00 to 16:00, in Hebrew, Arabic, English and Russian. A meeting at the visa desk goes through the appointment form in the visa desk article.
Note the date and content of each call and form, and if the interim licence is about to expire with no decision, raise it before the expiry date.
How IsraelVisa helps
IsraelVisa helps you keep the interview date, the completion requests, the licence dates and every letter from the Authority in one place, ordered by date, so that no deadline is missed, yourselves and at your own pace. IsraelVisa does not give legal advice; if you wish, you can find independent lawyers through IsraelVisa.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a deadline for the Authority's decision after the interview?
For a file handled in Israel the procedures set no number of days. The frames that exist are the interim licence of up to half a year and the half-year extension when a doubt remains, after which a decision on the merits must be made. At a representation abroad, the entry decision is as a rule due within 90 days of the complete file.
How long do we have to answer a completion request?
45 days from the day you received the request, extendable by the head of the visa team by up to 45 more days. If the documents are not in on time the application is summarily refused, and a new application requires the fee again and the documents that were missing.
Who decides on our file?
The handling official approves the start of the Gradual Process. A file the official does not approve goes to the head of the visa team, who refuses or extends the licence by half a year for a second look. At the end of the Gradual Process the decision is the office manager's.
We were refused. Do we choose between the internal appeal and the Tribunal?
The decision states the route that applies in your case. The internal appeal is due within 21 days of receiving the decision and the Tribunal appeal within 30 days of the decision, so the clock is short either way. A lawyer is one option at this point; the choice is yours.
Related reading
More on The interview
Sources
- Procedure 5.2.0008 - status for a foreign spouse married to an Israeli citizen (edition 16, 20.07.2026), sections C.7, C.9, C.21-C.23, C.25, E.1, E.2(7)-(8), E.2(10)-(12), F.1-F.6, G.1-G.2 and H.1-H.2 (Hebrew)
- Procedure 5.2.0009 - applications for status on the basis of a shared life (edition 17, 16.07.2026), sections C.6, C.17-C.19, C.21, E.2(8), E.2(10)-(12) and F.1-F.6 (Hebrew)
- Procedure 5.2.0011 - status for a foreign spouse married to a permanent resident (10.12.2020), sections D.2.c, D.3 and E.9 (Hebrew)
- Appeals Tribunal - instruction sheet for filing an appeal, as of 1.1.2026 (Hebrew)
- Kol Zchut - the Population and Immigration Authority: the national call centre and its hours (Hebrew)
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The information in this article is general and does not constitute legal advice. The procedures are updated from time to time; check the current version on the website of the Population and Immigration Authority.