Cancellation or expiry of a work permit may affect both the foreign national's authorization to work and the basis of his or her stay in Türkiye. However, the end of the employment contract, the Ministry's permit action, the residence application and the deportation decision are each assessed separately. Agreeing with a new employer or objecting to the cancellation does not by itself confer a right to work. The first step is to determine the type of permit, the reasons for the decision, the date of notification and any other right of stay.[1, 2, 3]
This article deals mainly with work permits under Law No. 6735 on International Labor Force. Different documents, such as a private school teaching permit issued under professional legislation, should not be confused under the same heading. Nor does the same result apply in every case to dependent and independent work permits, indefinite work permits and permits issued to persons under protection status.
What is the difference between cancellation, expiry and leaving the job?
Expiry of a permit is the completion of the validity period stated in the document. Cancellation, by contrast, may involve an administrative decision about a permit whose term has not yet run out. Leaving the job or termination of the employment contract is first of all a fact in the employment relationship; it separately produces consequences for the work permit and for notification procedures. The statements "SGK exit was filed," "the employer requested cancellation" and "the Ministry terminated the permit" are not the same record.
Article 15 of Law No. 6735 regulates grounds for cancellation such as, in addition to cancellation on request, the end of the employment, work in breach of the law, false or misleading application information, the notification of certain entry or deportation obstacles, and reasons relating to public order, security or health. Which ground was applied must be understood from the decision and the case file. Reliance on a provision that does not fit the applicant, or the use of an erroneous record as the basis, matters in judicial review.[1]
A decision made without the foreign national's request and a permit ended at the person's own request are not the same dispute. Possibilities such as an error in the employer's notification, whether the employee really left, or an incorrect end date must be explained with concrete documents. Even if the permit appears valid, a fundamental change in the employment relationship should not be assumed to be unimportant.
What is the employer's notification obligation?
Under Article 22 of the Law and the current explanations of the Ministry of Labor and Social Security (Çalışma ve Sosyal Güvenlik Bakanlığı), employers who employ foreign nationals, and the relevant holders of independent permits, are obliged to notify the Ministry within fifteen days of the start of work, its end, and circumstances requiring cancellation. The Ministry explains that, in the case of not starting work or leaving the job, the request for termination is completed with an electronic signature through the post-permit procedures in the e-İzin system.[1, 2]
This notification is separate from obligations under social security legislation. An action filed with SGK does not by itself show that notification was made to the Ministry, and an action filed with the Ministry does not by itself show that all SGK records have been completed. The date, application number and result of each action should be kept.
The fifteen-day notification period is not a period that gives the foreign national fifteen more days of work or residence. The foreign national's status of stay is determined according to the validity of the permit and whether he or she has another status. An employer's neglect of its obligation is likewise not a reason that of itself resolves all of the foreign national's migration procedures.
Does the right of residence also end when the work permit ends?
Under Article 27 of the YUKK (Law No. 6458 on Foreigners and International Protection) and Law No. 6735, a valid work permit or work permit exemption generally takes the place of a residence permit. Therefore, where the work permit is the only basis of stay, it cannot be said that the right of residence based on that document continues when the permit ends. Whether there is a separate basis, such as a valid family or student residence permit, is investigated separately.[2, 3]
Work permits issued to international protection applicants, conditional refugees and foreign nationals under temporary protection do not take the place of a residence permit. For these persons, loss of the work permit and the end of protection status are different actions. It cannot be concluded directly from cancellation of the work permit that protection status has ended; likewise, a protection document does not give authorization to work in any job without a permit.[2]
What does the ten-day residence application period relate to?
Article 21(6) of the YUKK Implementing Regulation provides that residence applications made within ten days by those whose work permit has been cancelled or has ended are to be concluded within the framework of Article 22 of the Law. In the case of an unfavorable outcome of a work permit extension application, Article 21(7) separately states that the ten-day period starts from notification of the unfavorable decision.[4]
This period is not a guarantee of a favorable decision for a new permit. The application must rest on a genuine purpose of stay and meet the conditions of the relevant permit. If the date of cancellation of the permit and the date of notification differ, the record and the notification file should be examined without delay. The explicit starting rule on refusal of an extension should not be applied without thought to all types of cancellation.
Which document matters during a new application?
The completion of the application and the scope of the application certificate issued are significant. Opening the online form, viewing the appointment screen, and a document issued on the basis of a completed application are different from one another. The legal basis of stay must be checked together with the conditions of the document issued. It should not be separately assumed that authorization to work continues during the application process.
Can the old permit be used when the employer changes?
A fixed-term dependent work permit is tied to a particular job, workplace and employer. Moving to another employer does not mean that the old permit is carried over to the new workplace of its own accord. The nature of the application for the new employer and the date on which work may begin are determined separately. The permit types and application procedures announced by the Ministry are based on this distinction.[1, 2]
A new employment contract, a job description and the employer's required records should be prepared. Whether the application can be made from within the country, whether the person's valid status is suitable for this, and whether a prior permit is needed for the occupation are questions answered separately. Actually starting work at another workplace after leaving one employer does not become lawful on the ground of waiting for the result of a new permit.
It is also not correct to apply to the holder of an indefinite or independent permit, without change, all the employer restrictions of the holder of a fixed-term dependent permit. The type and scope of the document, occupational restrictions and continuing obligations should be examined. The statement "I have a work card" alone is not enough to show the scope of the permit.
Can one work while an extension application is pending?
According to the Ministry's current explanation, an extension application is made from the time sixty days remain before the permit expires and in every case before the period ends. A foreign national who has made an extension application in time may continue to work, with the same job and the same workplace unchanged, from the end of the permit for the duration of the assessment and in any case not exceeding ninety days. This work is accepted as lawful work.[2]
The ninety days is not a general period of work granted to every new application or objection to cancellation. A timely extension application and the same job and workplace conditions are required together. That an objection has been filed after an application is refused also does not of itself neutralize that unfavorable decision or the status of authorization to work.
For example, a person whose work permit at one hotel was requested to be extended in time but who agrees with another hotel cannot begin working at the new hotel relying on the ninety-day explanation. The permit required for the new employer and workplace is assessed separately. This hypothetical example shows the scope of temporary continuity of work.
How are the time limits for objecting to a cancellation decision and for filing suit calculated?
Article 21 of Law No. 6735 provides that decisions given by the Ministry under the Law may be objected to before the Ministry within thirty days of notification. If the objection is rejected, the route of administrative justice is open. The petition should not merely state that the outcome is not accepted; the cancellation ground used, the correct dates of events and the documents showing the error should be explained.[1]
In administrative justice, the general limitation period for filing suit is sixty days under Article 7 of the İYUK. The effect of an application to the Ministry on the period for filing suit should be calculated by considering the special objection provision together with Article 11 of the İYUK. It should not be assumed that, in every case, a new sixty days starts from zero after the objection is rejected. In an application within the scope of Article 11, the days that have already passed are counted first; the thirty-day rule on non-response is also taken into account. The correct last day cannot be calculated without the dates of application and notification.[5]
| Subject | Basic period | Result the period does not provide |
|---|---|---|
| Objection to the Ministry | 30 days from notification of the decision | The permit does not become valid again of itself. |
| General annulment action | As a rule 60 days; the effect of an administrative application is calculated separately | Execution is not suspended of itself. |
| Residence application | 10 days under Regulation Art. 21(6)–(7) | No automatic new residence or work permit arises. |
| Employer's notification | 15 days from the relevant fact | Creates no additional period of work for the foreign national. |
| Working while awaiting an extension | At most 90 days if the conditions are met | Does not give authorization to work at a new workplace. |
An annulment action is filed before the competent administrative court with jurisdiction over the administrative authority that took the action. In determining jurisdiction, the Ministry's action and another institution's occupational permit action must be distinguished. Obligations for fees and expenses also arise depending on the type of action; for a person without the means to pay, the conditions for legal aid are assessed separately.
If a stay of execution is requested, the existence together of a clear unlawfulness and of harm that is difficult or impossible to remedy must be explained. Loss of livelihood, the effect on status of stay and the consequences for the family can be shown with documents. Once a court decision is obtained, how it is applied to the permit record should also be followed; without seeing the scope of the decision, it cannot be said that authorization to work has been renewed in all respects.[5]
Does loss of the permit automatically produce deportation or a restriction code?
The detection of work without a work permit may lead to administrative sanctions and a deportation assessment. Nevertheless, a decision cancelling the permit, a deportation decision and an entry ban are not the same action. Any other valid basis of stay, the principle of non-refoulement and personal circumstances within the scope of Article 55 of the YUKK are examined separately. It cannot be claimed that a particular restriction code will necessarily be applied or that an entry ban of fixed duration will arise in every file.[1, 3]
If a separate deportation decision is notified, the special seven-day period for filing suit runs. The thirty-day objection or the sixty-day general litigation calendar against the work permit does not take the place of this period. If administrative detention has been applied, the application to the criminal judgeship of peace (sulh ceza hâkimliği) is also assessed separately. The general framework of migration procedures is explained on the firm's foreigners law services page.
How are employment claims and post-decision procedures followed?
The end of a work permit does not of itself extinguish claims for wages, overtime or claims tied to termination. Which claim has arisen is examined under employment law rules on the type of contract, the length of service and the reason for termination. The permit dispute concerns the administration; the dispute over employment claims concerns the employer. Mandatory mediation and special time limits in the employment dispute must also be assessed separately.[6]
The application file should contain together the permit document, the e-İzin decision and notification records, the employment contract, the termination or resignation document, the SGK records and new job offers. If there is a basis of stay other than the permit, its current document should also be submitted. A contradiction between the document submitted to the administration and the date of work asserted in the labor court may require explanation.
If the objection is accepted or the action is annulled by the court, the Ministry's new action, the permit record and the reflection in the migration record are followed. Where a separate refusal, restriction or deportation decision has been issued by another institution, it is not assumed that these have been lifted of themselves. The legal basis of each decision and how it is affected by the new development are determined.
Conclusion
When a work permit ends, the right course is to assess separately, starting from the type of permit and the employment relationship, the basis of stay, the objection and possible migration procedures. The thirty-day objection, the ten-day residence application, the fifteen-day notification and the conditional ninety-day continuation of work serve different purposes. Building the application calendar from the decision and notification documents reduces the risk arising from the assumption that one may work at a new workplace with the old permit.
Related articles: Graduation and deregistration for international students; Routes of appeal after refusal of a residence permit and subsequent migration procedures; Work permits for foreign nationals: conditions, documents and process; Restriction codes Ç-117 and Ç-119 for unauthorized work; Legal aid, interpreters and representation in migration and restriction cases.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I continue to stay on my work permit after I leave the job?
The effect of leaving the job on the permit record and any other right of stay of yours must be examined. If the work permit is the only basis of stay, a permit that has ended cannot be accepted as continuing the right of residence. The timetable for a new permit application should be determined without delay.
Can I use the same card when the employer changes?
A fixed-term dependent permit does not pass to the new employer of itself. The application and permit required for the new workplace and job are assessed separately. For independent or indefinite permits, the scope of the document itself is the basis.
If I object to the cancellation, can I keep working?
An objection by itself does not stop the cancellation action and does not create authorization to work. The conditional continuation granted to a timely extension application cannot be applied directly to an objection to cancellation.
In what situation is there a ninety-day continuation of work?
It may apply if an extension application was made in time, for the duration of the assessment, in the same job and workplace and for at most ninety days from the end of the permit. A new employer application is not the same as this rule.
When does the ten days for the residence application start?
The cancellation or expiry is assessed together with the relevant action. In the case of refusal of an extension application, Regulation Art. 21(7) expressly takes notification of the unfavorable decision as the starting point. A single calendar cannot be proposed without seeing the dates and the type of decision.
Does temporary protection end with cancellation of the work permit?
No such result can be drawn of itself. A work permit issued within temporary protection does not take the place of a residence permit; actions relating to the work permit and to protection status are separate.
Does notifying the Ministry take the place of an SGK exit?
No. Notification to the Ministry and social security procedures are separate obligations. A record showing that each action was completed in time should be kept.
If my work permit is cancelled, do I lose my wage claims?
Cancellation does not of itself extinguish employment claims that have already arisen. The type of claim, the characteristics of the employment relationship, the time limit for applying and the required mediation are examined separately within the framework of employment law.
Bibliography
- Law No. 6735 on International Labor Force (Uluslararası İşgücü Kanunu), text as adopted by the Grand National Assembly of Türkiye (TBMM), in particular Arts. 10, 15, 17, 21–23. The institution names and penalty amounts in the original adopted text were not used as current data; the relevant rules were compared with the Ministry's current explanations.
- Ministry of Labor and Social Security (ÇSGB), Work Permit Frequently Asked Questions (Çalışma İzni Sıkça Sorulan Sorular), in particular explanations 2, 4–6, 13, 20–22, 57 and 59.
- Law No. 6458 on Foreigners and International Protection (Yabancılar ve Uluslararası Koruma Kanunu), consolidated version, Arts. 4, 22, 27, 53–55; Presidency of Migration Management (Göç İdaresi), Work Permit FAQ (Çalışma İzni SSS).
- YUKK Implementing Regulation (YUKK Uygulama Yönetmeliği), Art. 21(6)–(7) and Arts. 25–26.
- Law No. 2577 on Administrative Procedure (İdari Yargılama Usulü Kanunu), official text, Arts. 7, 11, 27, 28, 32.
- Ministry of Labor and Social Security (ÇSGB), explanations on the Labor Law (İş Kanunu), the general framework on separate assessment of the employment contract and employment rights. Research date: October 14, 2026.