Job Discussion Forums

Gregorio · Joined: 17 Aug 2004 Posts: 105

I am hoping to teach English in Turkey within the next year and will be visiting Istanbul in December. From what I've read on this forum, it seems that if a person is to teach at adult private English schools (e.g., English Time, Interlang, etc.), you must be willing to work illegaly and make multiple visa runs. This seems ludicrous.

If a teacher is willing to return/remain in the home country and wait for the official work visa, are the chances likely that some adult schools will cooperate and the visa will be approved? I know it takes time and money, but I feel it doesn't make sense to go half way around the world to work illegally... am I alone on this? Thanks for any responses.

dmb · Joined: 12 Feb 2003 Posts: 8397

You are right. It is ludıcrous. Some people get visas, others don't. If you can afford to then I would try and persuade the school to let you stay and do it from your own country. Or if the school's wanting you asap, then ask for the numbers of current teachers. Don't just ask for one number- you might be given a stooge- ask for a few.

PS Can anyone confirm if the Ministry of Education was recently restaffed with people from the fish and agriculture ministry. This is the reason why there is up to 6 months waiting time.

Gregorio · Joined: 17 Aug 2004 Posts: 105

Thanks dmb... I just read a post from a few weeks ago that helped, regarding work visas from the UK. Though, any other insight is always welcome.

naf · Joined: 22 Sep 2004 Posts: 15 Location: Istanbul

I've gotten two residency work permits since I've been in Turkey. For the first one I sent all my required papers in to the university, Bilgi, several months before I was to go. It turns out they just sat on them and didn't even send them in to Ankara. I ended up having to go and work "illegally" for the first seven months and make two return trips to New York to hand papers in to the Turkish consulate and pick up my work visa stamp. After that had been done the uni got my ikamet (residency/work permit) a few weeks later. My second ikamet for the university I'm at now, a public one, took an additional six months to give me the papers that I had to take myself to the gov offices and wait in line with the Moldovian prostitutes. During those six months I had to make yet another tourist visa trip anyway. It is actually much cheaper and more convenient to take a short weekend trip every three months unless your school requires AND offers to pay for an ikamet.

dmb · Joined: 12 Feb 2003 Posts: 8397

with the new budget airlines. You can fly to Cyprus for 69 million TL. Girne is very pleasant for a weekend. Book well in advance though.

bron · Joined: 26 May 2004 Posts: 88

Yeah, when I first arrived I was really keen to go legal and had all my paperwork faxed in, figuring that with my British passport I could just fly to London at some point and pick up the work visa that my school would organise for me. I gave them the documents I believed were needed -- my TEFL cert and Canadian citizenship -- and I never heard a word about it afterwards. Of course, with my typical stellar organisation, I didn't say a word about it either. We've had two new managers and two new DOSes at our branch since then, and I suspect my docs are lost by now.

However, the other simple fact is that I haven't reminded anyone that I wanted a work and residence permit when I first arrived because I've come to appreciate my three-monthly trips. These days, border run=mini-break. And one I'm glad to have.

Ebenezer · Joined: 02 Sep 2004 Posts: 99

How typical, bron... that's what they do, they take your documents and you think they are doing something, which they are not and the only thing you can do is pray that your precious documents don't disappear from their table... in the end, you don't do anything either and don't remind them of your papers, for after all you're enjoying your staying here and don't wanna go home... and the situation goes on and on and now the rule is to work illegaly... c'est la vie!

bigbadsuzie · Posted: Mon Sep 27, 2004 11:08 am Post subject: Do it right ,do it legal !

Coming over here without the proper paperwork is going to be a pain for you in the long run .
Lets assume you want to stay here for more than a year,having to do a lot of running around and hoop jumping later is going to give you a lot of grief ,so start as you mean to go on .
On the other hand, if like too many people this is just a short stop over while you consider the far east or whereever at a later date then you can hardly blame employers doing what they do here .
The cost and effort to them is considerable to get you acceptance from Ankara plus your permits ,then you do a runner after six months or so ,ala ghost,no wonder there is so much hassle over this issue . WTF do you expect ?

bron · Joined: 26 May 2004 Posts: 88

Gregorio · Joined: 17 Aug 2004 Posts: 105

Thanks for the responses... and after doing a little bit more thread reading it seems that since I only have a BS in Geography and History with a TEFL certification I won't be approved by the Ministry of Education for a work visa anyway? Is this true for teaching at the adult private schools too? Or is it only true if I want to teach in the K-12 or university system?

What seems odd is that some of these schools post that they offer assistance with visas. Are their intentions just to throw you some cash when your 3 months are up so you can make a run to the border? Strange...

dmb · Joined: 12 Feb 2003 Posts: 8397

With your qualifications you can work at universities and private language schools. Although, I know a lot of people who work in schools who don't have a PGCE or a degree in English.

Gregorio · Joined: 17 Aug 2004 Posts: 105

Thanks again dmb... correct me if I'm wrong. PGCE = Post Graduate Certification in English?

dmb · Joined: 12 Feb 2003 Posts: 8397

naf · Joined: 22 Sep 2004 Posts: 15 Location: Istanbul

For the first ikamet you must return to your HOME COUNTRY TWİCE. They changed the rules two years ago. For those coming from outside of Europe this is a ridiculous expense unless your school is paying for the air tickets too. My first university had promised to cover expenses until I showed up and they realized the laws had changed... I think the only places that actually pay for 1st timer work visa trips to home countries are a few of the very high end universities. Do you know of any others?

Nexus · Joined: 08 Mar 2004 Posts: 189 Location: Moscow

Please, will somebody tell me if this is a wind up. My head's getting a bit twisted with all these conflicting stories, 6 months wait for this, two trips back home for that etc.

I'm getting to the point where if I don't leave for Turkey VERY soon I'll miss the start of work and a course. My questions are simply:

Do I need to enter with my work visa from the London consulate or not?

If not, do I NEED to to fly back to London to pick it up (or can it all 'get sorted out later')?

Do I need to leave the country at all if I enter with a work visa in my passport?

Do work visas take 4-6 weeks from the London consulate, or are they shi**ing me?

I know it's not the first time I've posted about this, but I really have to move soon, one way or the other.

Cheers.