Israeli citizens whom are in a relationship with a foreign national, or foreign nationals who seek to regularize their status under any regulation, may often encounter rejection and negative replies from the Ministry of the Interior. However, the rejection of an application is not the end of the road – in a sense, it is only the beginning. It is important that you know that most procedures conducted at the Population and Immigration Authority entail eligibility for filing an Internal Appeal at the Population Authority, even before turning to judiciary instances
From the moment a decision was made to reject an application for regularization of status, one has 21 days to file an internal appeal. The appeal is typically filed with the same office that issued the rejection, and the person who will discuss it is an officer of a higher rank than the one who signed the initial decision.
Thus, for example, an appeal of the decision of a team lead at the office will be relayed for review by the vice-director of the office or the director themself.
An appeal of the decision of the director of an office is also filed with the same office where the decision was made, but it shall be sent for resolution by the regional director or the head of the Desk at the Population Authority headquarters.
It is very important to stress that an appeal that was filed 21 days after the decision was made shall not be discussed, and therefore it is extremely important to be punctual with adhering to the schedule.
Internal appeal at the population authority can be filed within 21 days, in person, at the Population and Immigration Authority office where the decision was issued. One can approach the Information Station and there is typically no need to wait in the normal queue. After the appeal is filed, one must obtain a “Received” stamp with the date of submission and the name of the officer who processed the appeal. It is highly important to keep this reference for the filing.
Keep in mind: so long as the appeal does not exceed 10 pages, the appeal can be filed by fax to the office that made the decision being appealed. The fax number can be found at the bottom of the application or at the Authority’s website. Even when utilizing this option, we recommend that you keep the fax approval carefully.
Filing an appeal does not require the payment of a fee.
It’s important for you to know that you have the right to receive the relevant documents for formulating and filing an appeal. Thus, for instance, if the Ministry of the Interior rejects a couple’s application for regularization of status due to contradictions that emerged in the partners’ interviews, it is highly recommended to receive the interviews’ minutes.
A review of the minutes can frequently settle the contradiction, or demonstrate that one never existed to begin with.
Bear in mind, however, that filing a request to receive these documents does not postpone the deadline for filing the appeal. As this can only be done within 21 days, one should hurry and receive the documents as soon as possible.
It is important to bear in mind that the internal appeal is the last stage conducted at the Ministry of the Interior – and should it be dismissed, it would be necessary to turn to judiciary instances. For this reason, the internal appeal should include all documents that are important for the Ministry of the Interior to have in order to make a decision. These documents will also be the foundation of the legal proceeding, should one become necessary.
Thus, one should bring as many evidence and documents as possible to convince the Population Authority to revoke their refusal of the application, and not settle for the letter alone.
There is a great deal of variance from case to case, but arguments in an appeal can be divided into groups:
We recommend consulting an attorney before filing an internal appeal with the Ministry of the Interior and as soon as possible, in order to formulate the correct strategy, to receive the documents from the Ministry of the Interior and prepare the additional documents required, as well as to compose and file an appeal that covers all required matters.
Note: Contacting an attorney at this stage can spare you future legal proceedings, time, and no few additional expenditures.
Should the internal appeal be dismissed, one can file an appeal with the Court of Appeals within 30 days. You can read about the procedure for appealing to the court here.
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An Internal Appeal at the Population Authority is a process available to individuals who receive a rejection from the Ministry of the Interior regarding status regularization applications. This appeal must be filed within 21 days from the moment the rejection decision was issued. The Internal Appeal at the Population Authority serves as an important step before turning to judicial proceedings, allowing applicants to challenge negative decisions through an administrative review by a higher-ranking officer.
You can file an Internal Appeal at the Population Authority in person at the same office where the rejection decision was issued, typically at the Information Station without waiting in the regular queue. Alternatively, if your appeal does not exceed 10 pages, you can submit it by fax to the office that made the decision. Filing an Internal Appeal at the Population Authority does not require any payment of fees. It is crucial to obtain a "Received" stamp with the submission date and officer's name as proof of filing.
If you file an Internal Appeal at the Population Authority more than 21 days after the rejection decision was made, your appeal will not be discussed or reviewed. The 21-day deadline is strictly enforced, making punctuality extremely important. Therefore, it is essential to act quickly upon receiving a rejection notice and consider consulting an attorney immediately to ensure your Internal Appeal at the Population Authority is filed within the proper timeframe.
When you file an Internal Appeal at the Population Authority, it is reviewed by an officer of higher rank than the one who signed the initial rejection. For example, if a team lead rejected your application, the vice-director or director of the office will review your Internal Appeal at the Population Authority. If the office director made the original decision, your appeal will be sent to the regional director or the head of the desk at Population Authority headquarters for resolution.
Yes, you have the right to receive relevant documents to help formulate your Internal Appeal at the Population Authority. For instance, if your application was rejected due to contradictions in interviews, you can request the interview minutes. However, requesting these documents does not postpone the 21-day filing deadline for your Internal Appeal at the Population Authority, so you should obtain them as quickly as possible to prepare a comprehensive appeal with all necessary evidence and documentation.
Your Internal Appeal at the Population Authority should include all important documents and evidence that can convince the authority to revoke their refusal. Since the Internal Appeal at the Population Authority is the final administrative stage before judicial proceedings, you should not settle for just a letter but bring as many supporting documents as possible. It is highly recommended to consult an attorney before filing to formulate the correct strategy, obtain necessary documents, and ensure your appeal covers all required matters comprehensively.