The Central Bureau for Foreign Workers Ltd. (in Hebrew: הלשכה המרכזית לעובדים זרים בע"מ, known online as Halishka) is the leading organization in Israel for managing foreign-worker operations on behalf of large Israeli employers. We handle the full cycle — regulatory permits, international recruitment, arrival and onboarding, managed housing, medical insurance, day-to-day operations and a 24/7 hotline — under one roof, with full transparency for the employer. This page is written in English for international executives, group HR leaders, investors and partners who need a clear picture of who we are and what we do.
What is the Central Bureau for Foreign Workers?
The Central Bureau for Foreign Workers Ltd. is an Israeli "ground services" company for foreign labor: a single provider that takes over every operational and regulatory task involved in employing foreign nationals in Israel, so that the employer only manages the work itself. The company was founded as a strategic partnership between three established Israeli groups — Humi Group (property and housing management), Machula Group and Lesico Group — combining housing infrastructure, logistics and regulatory expertise. Today we serve more than 200 employers, over 1,000 active workers and 150+ managed apartments from the north to the south of Israel.
Who we work with
Our clients are Israeli employers in the sectors where the Israeli government has opened foreign-worker quotas: manufacturing and industry (Procedure 9.5.0001), retail and services (garages, professional cleaning, event halls, wholesale and retail trade, logistics), hotels and hospitality, and restaurants. Since 2023, the shortage of workers in Israel has grown sharply — the Ministry of Economy estimates the gap in trade and services alone at more than 50,000 workers — and the state has responded with new quotas: 18,200 industry permits through the end of 2026, 5,000 additional permits for trade and services in 2026, and dedicated tracks for hotels and restaurants. Navigating those quotas correctly is where most employers need help.
What we do: the full service envelope
Regulation and permits. Eligibility assessment, applications to the Ministry of Economy and the Population and Immigration Authority (PIBA), permit renewals, B-1 work visas and fee management.
International recruitment. Sourcing and screening in the countries of origin under Israel's bilateral agreements and approved channels (India, Sri Lanka, Uzbekistan, Moldova, the Philippines, Thailand and others).
Arrival and onboarding. Airport pickup, documents, bank account, SIM card, orientation and workplace integration, all in the worker's language.
Managed housing. Sourcing, furnishing and maintaining apartments that meet Israel's Adequate Housing Regulations, with fire safety, preventive maintenance and 24/7 emergency repairs.
Medical insurance. Mandatory private health insurance for every worker, plus case management for medical events.
Ongoing operations. Payroll compliance (minimum wage, the 7.5% deposit that replaces pension, permitted deductions), inspection readiness, translation services and a 24/7 support center for workers and employers.
Technology. A dedicated worker app in native languages and an employer CRM with live status, documents, housing occupancy and open requests.
Why employers choose us
Employing foreign workers in Israel is heavily regulated: the Foreign Workers Law (1991), the deposit regulations, adequate-housing regulations and sector-specific procedures. Violations carry administrative fines of tens to hundreds of thousands of shekels and can cost an employer its permit. Our model replaces ten separate vendors — recruiter, landlord, insurer, translator, maintenance company — with one accountable partner, one contract and one dashboard. For a factory with 20 foreign workers, that typically saves a full-time HR role and eliminates the compliance risk that comes from fragmented management.
Contact
The Central Bureau for Foreign Workers Ltd. operates nationwide in Israel. To discuss your organization's needs, call +972-52-4441223, message us on WhatsApp, or leave your details on halishka.co.il. We respond in Hebrew and English.
