Search
Contact
Login
Share this article
IMPACT – MEDIUM
What is the change? New procedures that were intended to reduce the wait times for resident permit appointments have caused a new backlog for exit permits that are required for resident permit applicants and their family members.
What does the change mean? Family dependents should plan to delay their travel into Turkey until primary applicants secure their work visa, and expatriates in Turkey should plan to renew their resident permits as early as possible.
Background: As BAL reported last month, the Migration Directorate is now requiring that all resident permit applications be sent to the main Istanbul office in Vatan for final adjudication. A backlog of files in that office has developed, and exit permits cannot be issued until the resident permit application is adjudicated. According to Maria Celebi of Bener Law Firm in Istanbul, many residence permit holders may choose to renew their resident permit by mail, instead of in-person, to take advantage of shorter processing times, but postal applicants cannot leave Turkey before an exit document or their new permit is issued (approximately one month or more).
BAL Analysis: Employees and their dependents should factor in the processing delays and anticipate that they are likely to worsen in coming weeks as government offices close for approximately one week for the Bayram (Eid al-Adha) holiday beginning around Aug. 22.
This alert has been provided by the BAL Global Practice group and our network provider located in Turkey. For additional information, please contact your BAL attorney.
Copyright © 2018 Berry Appleman & Leiden LLP. All rights reserved. Reprinting or digital redistribution to the public is permitted only with the express written permission of Berry Appleman & Leiden LLP. For inquiries please contact copyright@bal.com.
The U.S. Department of Labor has posted updated processing times for permanent labor certification (PERM) applications. PERM Processing: As…
Immigrant visa issuance continued to climb in fiscal year 2023, surpassing pre-pandemic totals, according to recently published State…
EU member states’ ambassadors have agreed on a draft regulation that would let the EU suspend visa-free travel for countries…
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services announced this week that it will implement a streamlined process to provide Employment…