Job Discussion Forums

[chiichan]

Hello! I have a question about getting a work visa in Turkey. I am a US citizen, planning on arriving in May in Istanbul with a tourist visa, but am hoping to get a job there and work (I have a couple job interviews lined up at private universities). My question is, from your experience, do you think it is possible for me to stay in Turkey and take care of the entire visa process (assuming an institution wants to hire me!), or would I be required to go back to the US to get the work visa?

I have been checking this forum out from time to time. I find it very informative, entertaining, and always helpful. Thanks in advance for any input!

[coffeespoonman]

If you do a quick search, you'll find that I've posted about this extensively, but let me summarize the issue.

Everyone will tell you that you have to go back to the US to get your visa. This is NOT TRUE. It's just that even the people enforcing the laws don't know the laws. I got my work permit inside the country. I know people who have got it in Bulgaria and Cyprus. If going back to the US is a big problem for you like it is for me (I hate flying), just go to the foreigners office (yabancı ş�besi) yourself and talk to them. They'll probably help you, unless they're in a bad mood.

Worst case scenario, if nobody believes you or will help you, you buy a residence permit yourself first. That way, you're a legal resident of Turkey and have no reason to go back to the USA for any reason at all.

Good luck...

[gloomyGumi]

[chiichan]

Thanks for your help! I will also check your other threads out about the visa process!

I wonder if I should just buy the resident permit when I get to Turkey, just to be 'legal'... What do other people think??

[Mike_B]

I live in Turkey and have two daughters. I obtained residence permits for them last fall and it cost me several hundred lira for each of them. I don't remember the exact price, but I will try to find my receipts.

Your decision could be based on several factors:

- Is your employer going to obtain a work visa for you (Most teachers on here indicate that their employers do not)?

- Will you work in a location convenient for border runs?

- Do you want to be bothered with border runs?

I live in Bursa and don't mind making a border run to Bulgaria by bus. The cost is under 100 lira. I am not working (retired), so taking a day or two for a border run in easy for me.

If I came here to work and lived in Bursa, I would probably still make border runs. If I lived further away from Bulgaria and a border run was more difficult, I would probably obtain the residence permit.

The cost of the residence permit affects my decision and the fact that I have been curious about Bulgaria anyway as I worked with a few Bulgarians in the past. If the residence permit didn't cost so much, or if I didn't care to see Bulgaria, I would obtain a residence permit.

The process wasn't too difficult for my daughters. There is a bit of bureaucracy involved, but no worse than what I've seen in many government offices in the US.

Good luck with your move and new job when you come to Turkey!

[coffeespoonman]

The OP's situation and most other teachers' situations are a bit different. The OP anticipates working for a university, in which case he'll need to get and process a work visa. Language schools almost never give you one, and just getting a residence permit is enough (although you're illegal and you get no benefits like retirement, job security, etc.).

The problem is that the work visa (technically) has to be issued in your country of residence. Which for most teachers means flying home, going to the Turkish embassy, getting the visa, flying back, entering on THAT visa, then having the school apply for the residence/work permit.

There are 2 ways around this as a foreign teacher here on a tourist visa.

1) Just ask the right person on the right day. There's no GOOD reason that you have to go to your country to get a visa. It's ridiculous, and most people at the immigration department don't even know the law. If that doesn't work:

2) Become a resident of Turkey. The cost isn't tooooo great, and it's cheaper than flying home in most cases. Time-wise it's very easy, 2 weeks at most from making the first appointment to picking up your permit. But the cost can be a problem for some.

Chiican, if you get a 3 month residence permit (which is what you'd probably need to cover the period from August - when your tourist visa is about to expire - to November - which is probably when your university and the gov't will FINALLY finish processing everything, it should run you no more than 400 TL (I think). That will also save you a bus or train to Bulgaria (which I think is worth doing anyways at some point - great country!).

With that in hand, no matter WHAT your university tells you, there is no reason at all that you need to go home to get any visa. According to the law, you ARE obtaining the work PERMIT in the country of your legal residence. Therefore, no work VISA is necessary. Confusing, but that's how it works.

About getting the residence permit just to be "legal", well, yeah, there are benefits, though you won't be "illegal" without it until you start work. Without the residence permit, you might be able to rent an apartment, but you won't be able to put most utilities in your name. You also won't be able to get a post-paid mobile phone line, which will make things like 3G internet almost impossible (if that's an issue for you).

If you have any specific questions, I'll do what I can to help.

[chiichan]

thanks for all the advice:P

I am looking forward to being in Turkey!!! Have a good day.