In an attempt to tackle the labor shortages that the country is dealing with, the Turkish authorities have decided to make several changes to the work permit requirements.
As shared in an official document, specific groups of skilled and qualified workers who are needed in the country will be granted temporary work permit exemptions for up to three years, VisaGuide.World reports.
This means that those who have certain professions and can help the country with the shortages will be able to remain within the territory of Türkiye temporarily without the need for a work permit or without the need to extend their expired permit.
As Türkiye Today explains, under the new rules, refugees and others who hold temporary protection will not be required to obtain a work permit for specific stay durations.
According to the authorities, the exemption for the document will apply to all those who are registered under the Foreign Application, Evaluation, and Monitoring System. However, the exemption duration is not fixed, and the Ministry of Interior will be responsible for deciding on it.
On the other hand, the case is not the same for those who are able to provide economic, sociocultural, and technological contributions. The document notes that this group of highly qualified workers will now be exempted from the requirement to obtain a work permit for a period of three years. Previously, they were able to work in Türkiye for up to six months without a permit.
Journalists & Professional Athletes Will Also Be Exempted From Work Permit Requirement
The same source further explained that journalists and professional athletes will also no longer be subject to the work permit requirement.
Under the newly updated rules, foreign journalists who hold permanent press cards and have the approval of the Presidential Directorate of Communication will be exempted from the requirement to hold a work permit during their stay in the country.
Moreover, professional athletes and other necessary staff and professionals won’t have to obtain work permits for Türkiye provided that they hold valid contracts with Turkish clubs or sports federations.
Such a change means that those eligible will no longer have to obtain a sports-related visa to enter and stay within the territory of Türkiye for a temporary period.
These are not the only changes that Türkiye has made to give a hand to its economy and retain foreign talent. Just recently, Türkiye launched the Tech Visa Program. Under this program, internationals seeking to establish start-up ventures in the country are granted work permits with a validity period of over three years under an accelerated procedure.