Ministry of Aliyah & Integration — Eligibility categories for children of new immigrants, immigrant minors, returning minors, and immigrant families

Source: Israeli Government Guide for New Immigrants · 2026-05

132 A Child of New Immigrants (“ben oleh”) A child of new immigrants is a single person who received the status of a new immigrant (new immigrant or new immigrant citizen) together with one’s parents or within a year before or after the parents received the status. An adult child of new immigrants - a person who received the status between the ages of 17 to 21. A minor child of new immigrants - a person who received the status before the age of 17. Eligibility A child of new immigrants is not entitled to a separate new immigrant certificate, and is included in the family certificate. A child of new immigrants is eligible for assistance as a new immigrant, not including housing assistance; eligibility is together with the family. A child of new immigrants is also not eligible for assistance in the field of integration in science. A New Immigrant Minor (“oleh katin”) An immigrant minor is a person who has the status of a new immigrant (new immigrant or new immigrant citizen) who made aliyah to Israel without parents after the age of 14 and before the age of 17. Eligibility A person who has the status of a new immigrant minor receives a new immigrant certificate and is eligible for assistance as a new immigrant except for integration in science. A returning minor (“Katin Hozer”) A returning minor is a person who left Israel before the age of 14 accompanied by a parent, or joined a parent living abroad and then returned to Israel for a permanent residence at the age of seventeen or up, after a stay abroad of at least four years. Upon entering Israel, this person would have been eligible for the status of a new immigrant according to the law of return had the person not been eligible for Israeli citizenship, and meets all of the following conditions.

133 Exceptions • A single person who is registered in the new immigrant/ eligibility certificate of his/her parents, whose age is between the ages of 17 to 21, who has returned to Israel with his/her parents, either within a year before or within a year after the parents returned to Israel, and the parents have eligibility for some assistance from the Ministry, is not a returning minor. • A person who meets the condition mentioned above and whose parents made a declaration in court that they renounce their remaining share of eligibility as new immigrants will be considered a returning minor. • Despite the above mentioned, in the case of a single parent new immigrant family with one child who received a mortgage [“mashkanta”], eligibility for a returning minor will not be given to the child, excluding someone who is orphaned from the parent who is registered on the new immigrant certificate. Conditions for being recognized as a returning minor

The person and his/her parents spent at least four consecutive years outside of Israel. Types of stay that do not count for determining eligibility for assistance: • Consecutive or accumulative visits of the person or his/her parents for less than four months within one calendar year. Someone who served in the Regular (sadir) service in the IDF (and also someone who served one year of standing army service (keva) in the IDF on condition that it was in continuation of the regular (sadir) service). Someone who served in National Service (Sherut Leumi). A stay in Israel of up to four months before or after the service, if no assistance was received according to the Ministry’s regulations. • In the case of a returning minor who served in the Regular (sadir) service in the IDF or in National Service (Sherut Leumi) and stayed in Israel up to four months before and after the service, this period will not be considered a return to Israel. • A stay in Israel for a period of twelve consecutive months (not including stays outside the country for up to four months, consecutive or accumulative) during which the person spent at least four months studying in ulpan or at least six months

134 volunteering on a kibbutz or six months of study in one of the following educational programs (this clause does not apply to someone who returned to Israel with his/her parents and whose age is under 17):

Elementary school, high school, college, institute of higher education.

A yeshiva, an institute for Jewish studies.

An institute for overseas counselors.

Pre-military programs or study programs, the Jewish Agency and the youth movements.

A graduate of the Masa program of the Prime Minister’s office and the Jewish Agency (dependent on providing conformation of graduation from the directors of the program) even if in the past this person was or in the future will be in one of the programs mentioned above.

An internship (“hitmachut”-“stazh”) in a professional field in an Israeli institute or with an Israeli employer. All of the above is on condition that the total length of stay abroad before and after this period of study is at least 48 months. 2. Neither of the parents was employed abroad by one of the following bodies and did not represent an Israeli entity abroad, unless five years have passed since the termination of employment until the return to Israel: the State of Israel, State Authorities including State companies, The World Zionist Organization or any of its subsidiaries, the Jewish Agency, Keren Kayemet LeYisrael, Keren HaYesod, HaMagbit HaMeuchedet -The United Appeal, or the Israel Bonds. Moreover neither of the parents was employed abroad by a public or private Israeli employer, including an entity registered outside of Israel, to which one of these conditions applies to: control over

135 business and their management are in Israel or the name is the same as a corporation that was first registered in Israel, unless five years have passed from the termination of employment until returning to Israel. This condition does not apply to a returning minor who spent over ten years abroad or who enlisted in the IDF/ National Service within a year from the last entry to Israel, and whose date of eligibility will apply from the date of enlisting in the IDF or entering the National Service. A person who one of his/her parents worked abroad for a company that has the same name (or the same in principle) as the company for which they worked in Israel will not be considered a returning minor. Please Note! The treatment of a returning minor and of a new immigrant before making aliyah is the same; therefore it is recommended to contact the Jewish Agency offices in your country of residence. In a country where there is no Jewish Agency representative, one should contact the Jewish Agency’s Global Center in Israel and provide the necessary documents. Eligibility A returning minor receives an eligibility certificate and is eligible for assistance as a new immigrant. An Immigrant Family (“mishpachat olim”) An immigrant family (“mishpachat olim”) is one in which all members have new-immigrant status or eligibility as new immigrants. A mixed new-immigrant family (“mishpachat olim me’orevet”) A mixed-new-immigrant family is one in which one spouse is a new immigrant, immigrant citizen, or returning minor, and the other a veteran Israeli, and at least one child was born overseas, and one of the following two conditions apply: • The date of birth of the child is prior to the date of receiving the new-immigrant status of the eligible parent • The date of birth of the child overseas is following the date of receiving the new-immigrant status of the eligible parent,