Same-sex couples: the Gradual Process

If you are a same-sex couple and one of you is an Israeli citizen, the foreign partner can apply for status in Israel through the Gradual Process. The Authority handles same-sex couples under the common-law procedure (5.2.0009), whether or not you married abroad. Most couples file on their own, and the portal helps you prepare every document. This guide covers what is specific to same-sex couples; the renewals and the documents are the same as in the common-law guide, and the stages for couples married abroad are different, below.

Which track applies

• Not married: you start with a shared life, like every new couple, with the invitation, the B/2 visitor visa and the first interview, and file on the common-law track, about seven years from approval, ending in permanent residency. The stages are in the common-law guide.
• Married abroad, including online: your marriage can be registered with the Population and Immigration Authority. Under procedure 5.2.0009, a same-sex couple handled on the strength of a marriage skips the B/1 stage: the foreign partner receives A/5 temporary residence for four years, and at the end can apply for permanent residency.

If the Israeli partner is a permanent resident rather than a citizen, the same procedure applies, and the unmarried track is longer: four years on B/1 and five on A/5.

What is the same as for any couple

At the appointment, and throughout the process, the Authority checks four things:

• That the relationship is genuine.
• That your centre of life is in Israel.
• That there is no criminal or security impediment.
• The foreign partner's legal status on the day you file.

The Authority may interview each of you separately. Answer for yourselves, honestly and consistently. Nobody expects rehearsed answers. Each stage ends with a renewal, and each time you show again that you are still together and still living in Israel. Apply for renewal online three months before your current permit expires.

Proving a shared life

Without a marriage certificate the Authority recognises, your proof of a shared life carries the weight: a lease or ownership in both names, joint accounts and bills, photographs over time, and letters from family and friends who know you as a couple. If your families or your partner's home country are not supportive, say so at the interview rather than leaving gaps; the Authority sees this situation often. The documents guide lists what to collect and in what form.

Doing it yourselves, and when a lawyer helps

You do not need a lawyer to file. The portal takes you through the documents one by one and helps you prepare and organise the file you submit.

A lawyer is optional. Some couples consult one when something is unusual: a past refusal, a criminal record, a partner who is still married to someone else, or a question about which track applies to a marriage abroad. If the foreign partner has no valid status in Israel on the day you file, involve a lawyer before filing. If you want one, you can find independent lawyers through IsraelVisa.

IsraelVisa does not give legal advice and does not represent you before the Authority. Most couples file on their own. Consulting one of the lawyers you can find here is optional; they are independent and are not employed by IsraelVisa.