Job Discussion Forums

[chickyabroad]

I am starting a new job in Turkey in Jan, one which will sponsor me for a work visa, and they have just told me to apply for a work visa instead of a tourist visa. My question is, how long does it take to get a work visa when I apply for it in my homw country (the US)? The school knows that I'm still in Turkey now, but that I am going home for Christmas next week. However, they want me to start in mid-Jan. Will that be enough time?

When I looked at the Turkish visa website (turkey.visahq.com, since the website for the Turkish consulate in NY is all in Turkish), it says that a work visa takes 6 days to process and also that a work visa requires approval from Turkey which can take 6 weeks. It also says that on a work visa, a person can stay for a maximum of 90 days, but also that the visa is good for 365 days. I'm so confused! Can someone give me the steps I need to take to apply for a work visa from the US and approximately how long it should take?

[Listener]

Chicky, your work visa must be obtained by your employer and they'd better get their act together if they plan to have you start legally in January. They will tell you all the docs you need to submit. If they don't know what they are doing, be wary of accepting the job...

Good luck!

[chickyabroad]

Actually, I think I found the answer, though I'm still not sure if it's the right one... one of the Turkish consulate websites I was looking at, it said that if a person is working for a university, the first step of waiting for approval from Turkey (the step that takes 6 weeks) can be skipped and all I would need is a letter from the Ministry of Education from the school.

Can anyone confirm this? I only found this information on one of the four or five consulate websites I read, so I don't know how accurate it is. I have emailed the person at the school, but would like to know sooner if possible.

[coffeespoonman]

Let me say this as clearly as possible:

You do NOT have to go back to the U.S. to get your visa.

Nobody believes me about this, but I can guarantee you 100% that it's true. I have never gone back home and I've been working legally here for 3 years. My university this year didn't believe me, and one of my colleagues was all set to go home for the visa, and I talked her into going to the emniyet herself with the letter from the department of education. When she got there, they processed the work permit overnight and said that they didn't understand why schools were sending teachers to their home countries.

Again, no matter what your director says, no matter what your HR department says, they are wrong. They just don't know how it works (by no fault of their own - even the department of immigration doesn't really understand the process).

All of this, however, applies to:
1. people dealing with the department of education (Y�K), not the department of labor. And
2. people who already have a residence permit (you can get it yourself here in Istanbul for a few hundred TL, see my earlier thread "The Shiny New Emniyet" for some details on how).

If you don't have a residence permit, this method still might work, but it is untested. My understanding is that if you don't want to get the residence permit yourself, you're obliged to get the work visa outside the country and enter the country on it.

HOWEVER, it is NOT necessary to get your work visa from your home country. I got one from the Turkish consulate in Sofia last year (my residence permit had expired) and I've got a friend in Bulgaria right now getting hers the same way (though she's had to wait for weeks because it was a rather unexpected trip - long story). Still, they assured her that anyone can get their visa at the consulate there.

[atoklas]

What coffee says appears to be true...
This is a link from the Turkish Embassy in the U.S.
http://www.washington.emb.mfa.gov.tr/ConsularServices.aspx?ID=6
However, there is a slightly different application process if you're applying from within the country or outside of the country.
Look at "interior application" and "abroad application" here-->
http://www.yabancicalismaizni.gov.tr/eng/sectors/egitim.html

[atoklas]

I do have a question for you, though, coffee, because you seem to know more about this than the rest of us... It seems like if you apply with Turkey you have to pay for your own residence permit, whereas if you apply at a Embassy or Consolate in your home country, the residence permit is free once you have the work visa. Is this true?

[chickyabroad]

[coffeespoonman]

Yeah, unfortunately, that's true Aktolas. If you're already in your home country it makes sense for you to just take care of it there. However, if you're already in Turkey, it's cheaper (and marginally less hassle) to get the residence permit here, as opposed to flying home.

My advice, if you find yourself in this situation, would be to get a 6 month residence permit because the wait between starting your job and actually getting the work permit could be several, several months (4 1/2 months at my current job), and you'll need to be in the country legally during that time. A year is overkill, since once you get the work permit done, you'll get a new residence permit anyways (which will last until the end of your contract).

A 6 month residence permit will run you around 400 TL, I think (including the book), and you'll have to prove you have something like 2000 USD in the bank. Other than that, and your father's name, there are no questions asked.

-Chickyabroad, that probably won't be enough time, but it really depends on a lot of people's moods and workloads. My guess would be no, but good luck... You really never can tell.

[atoklas]

Chicky, my paperwork was sent to Ankara right before Bayram, and I've been TOLD it should be back by mid-Jan. Of course, this is Turkish bureaucracy, so who knows, and I'd be rather shocked to see it come back early So, given my timeline, it doesn't seem like you have enough time, but I also think it might have something to do with the power, money, and influence of the people applying on your behalf...

[chickyabroad]

Thanks coffeespoonman and atoklas. Not exactly what I wanted to hear, but not surprising either.

Now I just wonder why they're so insistant that I start in mid-Jan when I'm pretty sure the school is on break! I have a feeling it has to do with having someone start a contract on a certain day to make dealing with hiring someone, if I don't renew, and vacation time easier next year. Oh, well, it will be a nice stress-free time to get to know the other teachers and get ahead on lesson planning!

[chickyabroad]

[atoklas]

Hi Chicky,
I know coffee said that was possible, and he might be right, but from what Ive read, you can only apply for your visa at the Turkish conslate in Bulgaria, Greece, etc. IF you can prove residency in that country... Otherwise, you have to either apply a) in the U.S. or b) within Turkey...

[coffeespoonman]

Ok, basically, nobody really knows the law. In fact, the law doesn't know the law. In this part of the world, for better or for worse (both, in equal amounts, if you ask me), the "official" rule is often very different to the "real" rule.

However, this time, that is in our favor. Because of my (probably annoying, but ultimately very helpful) lecturing other foreign teachers at my university about this situation, most were able to get their visas without returning to their home countries (only 1 didn't, and that's because he didn't try - he wanted the free flight home).

Go to the yabanci subesi in Aksaray (it's right by the metro station). Take with you a copy of the letter from YOK (the department of higher education - your school should have the letter). Tell them your situation. I can almost guarantee that, if you smile and look sweet, they will process your residence permit (with work permission included) right there and then. You'll be legal in a week.

The Bulgaria option is possible, but not recommended, as it requires your school to produce a lot of paperwork that they probably know nothing about - that's normal. You will not be in control of anything, and you could be waiting there for a very long time. It is a last ditch effort. Try to solve your problem without leaving the country first.

Lastly, despite what your school says... Despite what has happened to your colleagues in the past... You do not need to fly to Cyprus, or anywhere else, to get a work visa. I, and several people I know, have done it here.

Of course, if you want to go to Cyprus, go for it. Enjoy your free holiday. You shouldn't have to prove legal residence or anything. Yet another "law" that isn't as applicable as it seems to be.