September 16, 2024 by RealtorGlobal

Interior Minister Yerlikaya's New Immigration Policy: Strict Monitoring of Residence and Work Permits

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On August 14, Türkiye's Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya announced in an interview that significant changes would be made to the country’s immigration policies. Minister Yerlikaya stated that residence permit applications for foreign nationals coming to Türkiye as tourists will be reviewed more rigorously.

 

 

Yerlikaya reminded that citizens of 95 countries can enter Türkiye without a visa and can stay in the country for up to six months as tourists. However, he emphasized that it would not be possible to apply for a residence permit at the end of this period. The minister stated, "If you come to Türkiye as a tourist, you cannot say, 'I want to stay and work here.' For such requests, you need to return to your country and apply for a work permit." In other words, those coming as tourists will need to return to their home countries and apply for work and residence permits if they wish to move to Türkiye after their six-month stay.

 

Minister Yerlikaya also announced that new projects have been initiated to alleviate the workload of the Directorate General of Migration Management. With these projects, residence permit applications will now be processed through notaries. Additionally, the residence permit procedures for international students studying in Türkiye will be handled directly by their universities' student affairs departments.

 

Finally, Yerlikaya mentioned that it is planned to require fingerprinting for individuals entering Türkiye. He stated that this measure is intended to enhance security and improve the monitoring of entries and exits from the country. The new regulations announced by Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya indicate a more balanced and controlled approach to Türkiye's immigration policies. These improvements in the operations of the Directorate General of Migration Management aim to both simplify application processes and strengthen security measures.