Job Discussion Forums

[tarte tatin]

I am about to take up an appointment at a private university. I have collected my documents (approval from Y�K and contract) and am supposed to go to the consulate in London.

According to the consulate, academic employees are exempt from work permits so I should make an appointment to present my Y�K documents and request a residence visa.

The university are insisting I do not get a residence visa in the UK, they say according to Y�K rules I have to do it at the emniyet in Istanbul. The university do not pay for this visa btw.

Has anyone else had experience with this system and if so what exactly should I ask for in London?

[tarte tatin]

Okay, I found a better written consulate website than the London one, and called the consulate again. I don't need a work permit but I do need a work visa and this is what I will get at the consulate. Seems I will have to go to the emniyet within 30 days.

[billy orr]

I think officially you are supposed to do it the way you are. I did the same when I took up my current position six years ago. However, from reading this forum it seems many people just go straight from tourist visa to residence permit while the work permit is being applied for by the employer.

[tarte tatin]

Billy, I think that way only applies to people working in schools or language schools. I believe university instructors are in a different category and exempt from the work permit (but not exempt from work visa) which ironically makes the situation more complex, i.e. me flying back to London.

[billy orr]

I'm not sure about that tt, I definitely have a work permit from the ministry of labour.

20 years ago it was difficult to work after entering on a tourist visa. In those days the visa run was done by teachers who were already in Turkey starting a new job and involved travelling to a Turkish consulate in a neighbouring country. I never had to do it but several of my friends did.

[tarte tatin]

According to the consulate website and the labour attache to whom I spoke on the phone, academic instructors are exempt from work permits and only require work visas. I don't know if this is new.

[coffeespoonman]

From my own experience and the experience of my friends, I can assure you that a work visa is not necessary for employment at a university here - only a work permit (which is just a stamp in your residence permit). If you are already in the country, you can just take your Y�K approval documents and application (your school should be able to give this to you) and probably passport photos and/or other assorted documents (they'll let you know if anything is missing), and just go to the yabancı ş�beşi yourself. They should be able to take care of everything. If you're already out of the country, you can get the work visa (it won't hurt and it may make things simpler at the emniyet).

Feel free to PM with specific questions.

[bulgogiboy]

The previous poster is correct. Once you have your residence permit you take it to the yabanci subesi of the emniyet along with all your papers, photos, and of course cash, and they will process it for you. It took about 3 1/2 - 4 months for mine to be processed, as I recall. It will be a lot easier if a Turk of standing goes along with you...

You are still technically working illegally while the work permit is being processed, but in practice nobody is ever bothered about this.

The 'work permit' is just a stamp in the back of your residence permit. God knows why it takes so long for them to get it done!

[tarte tatin]

Thanks all for your replies.

This is where I am at now. I had to go to my country of origin (the UK) and take my Y�K approval letter and contract plus the fee to the Turkish consulate in London. A few days later, I collected my passport to which they had added a stamp giving me a single entry transit visa for work purposes (not permit) with the instructions to register at the emniyet within 30 days. I now have an appointment at the emniyet where I believe my old ikamet will be stamped and renewed.

It seems that I can renew the work visa the following year without going to my country of origin.

What has been interesting in this process is how much more expensive my visa was compared to North Americans. An American friend paid 58 dollars and I paid 216 pounds sterling. Well, the university paid but it makes Brits a more expensive acquisition!

[tarte tatin]

I should add that the process I describe only applies to UNIVERSITY employees. I believe other foreigners can take their ikamet along to the emniyet without going to the country of origin, at least that's what happened when I worked in a language school for the lucky few who got work permits.

[coffeespoonman]

I'm sorry to say, but nope... I hope your school paid for your trip because nobody (including university instructors) actually HASto go back to their own country for a visa, even if it's their first one. HR departments will tell you that; secretaries will tell you that, but nobody really knows the law.

The law states that one must obtain the work visa in the country of which they are a legal resident. BUT, if that country is already Turkey, then there's no need to go anywhere, and there's no need for the work visa either, just the stamp in your pre-existing residence permit.

The source of the confusion is probably that many people, when getting their first work permit, are not yet legal residents of Turkey. Thus, the common way to get the work permit is to go home, get the work visa (which will give you a free residence permit when you arrive), then get the work permit. This, however, is inconvenient, time-consuming and costly.

So, the way around this, if you are not a resident of Turkey but need to get a work permit and don't want to leave the country, is to apply for a residence permit yourself (6 months is enough, and you might be able to get away with 3 months) at the yabanci ş�besi of the emniyet (it's very easy though costs a few hundred lira. There are posts all about how to do this... look at my post 'the shiny new emniyet'), then collect your papers from your workplace and take them and have them processed yourself.

Of course, if you don't mind traveling and if either 1) your school is going to pay for it or 2) your country of residence isn't too far, it may be cheaper and/or more advantageous just to go home.

[tarte tatin]

Yes, my university did pay for my flight. I was surprised I had to go home too. However, on the Turkish consulate website the procedure is also outlined as I described. My university said that YOK insist on this way. It does seem a long-winded way of going about things and costly for the university.
Interesting that some university instructors get round this, or are some more established universities paying someone off to take a shortcut? It is a mystery. But I didn't mind spending an unexpected and paid for week at home with my family during term time:)

[Qaaolchoura]

[coffeespoonman]

Neither. You can apply for a residence permit anytime, and you can do it on a tourist visa. I was talking about the amount of time that you'll probably need to be a legal resident here before your school is able to gather the paperwork, submit it, and get a response back from the government.