This week has been an eye-popping week for change agents around the world and in Turkey. With the elections weighing heavy on the minds of Turkish people and who will be the next president, we are reminded that changes are yet to come. Some of those changes affect the expat world from wherever you come.
This past week my inbox has been filled with students, friends and business people asking me about how to write a CV, where they can find jobs in Turkey, and the most common, how do I work legally. Well, leave it to the Today's Zaman newspaper to answer the call about work permits.
Since I have been here for almost nine years now, lots of changes have occurred in the work environment, if not the enforcement of existing laws and practices about foreigners working in Turkey.
Where Turkey was once the domain for vagabond travelers to teach English to pay for their travels, that's no longer the case. Not only have many laws tightened but enforcement has taken on a new flavor. Additionally, Turkey is not what it was just a few years ago, and the employment domain has taken on yet new flavors.
Check out this article about Legal Regulations for Foreigners Working in Turkey. While it does justice to all the preliminary information you may be interested in learning about, I recommend you talk extensively to people who have continuously walked this road for some years and can point you in the right direction.
You should also be very clear about what regulations apply to you, why and when. If you are signing a contract to teach, ask the administration what needs to happen for you to get your residence and work permits. You may be out of a job if you don't follow their protocol.
Be smart and contact the embassy or consulate of the Turkish Republic in your home country to ensure you won't miss the boat, or rather, the job.
If you are thinking about bringing your money to Turkey from America to invest, you might want to check out The American Business Forum in Turkey (ABFT) which can help you out if you want to invest money or start a business here. Their sole job is to strengthen partnerships between U.S. businesses and Turkey.
Comments