murgh

I sent one of the NBN [Nefesh b'Nefesh-- an aliyah organization] employment counselors an email to find out if she had any updates about the licensure law, and this is what she sent back:

Nefesh B’Nefesh spoke to Misrad Habriut yesterday regarding the new licensing procedure for physical therapists, speech therapists, occupational therapists and dieticians.

New information about the new licensing procedure was posted recently on the Misrad Habriut site. Please do not use the English translation of their site that was posted on the Nefesh B'Nefesh site in September, as it is no longer accurate.

Please note the following changes:

1. Misrad Habriut will START accepting requests for a Teudah AFTER January 30^th. If you already submitted your documents, Misrad Habriut will start processing your request after January 30th.

2. If you are currently working, it is recommended that you submit your documents as soon as possible.

3. Technically speaking: After February 1^st, according to the letter of the law, you are no longer allowed to practice, until you receive a Teudah.

4. The requirement to obtain a letter from the police, has been cancelled.

5. Generally, if you have done an internship abroad you do not need to do an internship in Israel. However, Misrad Habriut is reviewing applications on a case by case basis and reserves the right to require that you do an internship anyway.

6. If you have a temporary or permanent Teudat Hakara that was valid before July 22, 2005, you need to submit 2 passport pictures, Teudat Zehut with the Sefach (the section with family members’ names), your old Teudat Hakara, and the medical professionals’ questionnaire (http://www.health.gov.il/download/forms/a2889_form_oved_mik.pdf).

7. The dates of the professional exams have not yet been determined. There is a good chance that the exams will be offered only in Hebrew.

Please refer to the Misrad Habriut site (http://www.health.gov.il/pages/default.asp?maincat=4&catid=42&pageid=3784) for any further information. We recommend checking the site regularly for any updates.
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So...yeah, this is not so good. It might mean pushing off my aliyah by about 6 months. Which isn't the end of the world, and was actually when I was planning on going in the first place...but it's kind of depressing because I really wanted to go this July. You don't always get what you want, but...this feels especially hard for some reason.