Application Process of Study-Work Permit of Turkey

A work permit is a permission document issued by the immigration office of a foreign country to allows a person to work in any foreign country. So, if you work without a work permit then it is considered illegal; serious actions regarding this can be taken by the concerned department of any foreign country.

To work in Turkey while being on a Turkish student visa, it is compulsory for the students to get a work permit from the Turkish government. Under the new law of international labor, the foreign postgraduate students who are enrolled in programs such as Masters or P.H.D in reputable education institute of turkey have the right to get a work permit. 

But, foreign students who are enrolled in undergraduate programs in turkey are being restricted to work no more than 30 hours per week after their first year of education; so that the undergraduate students can focus on their studies and get a good grade. However, foreign undergraduate students who were on their scholarship throughout their bachelor’s in turkey will not be eligible for a work permit after graduation, even if their residence permit type has been converted to a short-term resident permit.

Within one year after their graduation foreign students who have completed their education can apply for a work permit. The international labor policy Advisory board will assess the application and will make a decision once you apply.

Turkish Study-Work Permit Application Guidelines:

• To be eligible for applying one needs to have an offer of employment or a labor contract with an organization in Turkey. This is a dual process; once you and your employer have submitted the application, within 3 months the Ministry of labor and Social security will make a decision after accessing your application.
• One can apply from Turkey or from abroad in order to get a work permit. If filing the application from abroad the international students need to apply at the nearest consulate of the Republic of Turkey where they are a citizen or permanent resident.
• If you are an overseas resident, you can collect your visa and permission from the Turkish embassy and if you have applied from within turkey you can collect your visa and permission from MLSS headquarters in Ankara once your application gets approved.
• A work permit will be issued for a maximum of a year in the first application, when applying for an extension in the first application it will be issued for a maximum of 2 years.

Required Documents for Turkish Work Permit Application:

Following are the documents required to apply for a work permit in Turkey internally or externally:

Internal Work Permit Application Documents:

All the things you need are enlisted below:

• Employment Contract
• Passport Copy
• Diploma Copy
• If applicable a letter of recommendation Copy of Valid Residence permit for at least 6 months
• One biometric photo

Abroad Applications:

If you are applying from a foreign country then take the following things to the nearest Turkish Embassy: 

• Passport
• Work visa application Form
• Employment Contract
• One Biometric Photo

Rules to adhere to for Turkish Work Permit:

• In order to get a work permit, students should renew their residence permits.
• Students should not work unlawfully in the workplace otherwise they will be subjected to punishment.
• Students who work as a worker or intern without obtaining a work permit or internship permission will be deported immediately.

Job opportunities with Work Permit of Turkey:

Due to lingual restrictions, most of the companies prefer to intake Turkish speakers for the job, due to this overseas student faces difficulty to get a part time job which is also very under paid. But some of the jobs which are available are of type:

• Female students can have the job of nannies in which they have to babysit in the adjoining areas.
• To get an executive job you can apply for consulates, embassies, and non-governmental agencies which also have high salaries.
• Language teacher of your native language.
• Students can apply in the tourism sector which usually is a seasonal job.
• Newspaper companies like the Turkish daily news, the new Anatolian, zaman, offers jobs like editors, journalists to overseas students.
• People with a degree certificate in courses like TEFL, CELTA, TESOL, and PGSE can find other high salaries jobs.