Criminal Record Check for Long-term Residence Permit

[Izmir Ted 3]

I have a few (U.S.) friends here in Izmir that were issued long-term residencies (expire in 2099) after they applied for SHORT-term residencies.  They have all been here as residents for at least 8 years, which supposedly is the minimum time to be eligible for a long-term residency.  They did NOT provide a criminal record check, as that wasn't (and maybe still isn't) required for SHORT-term residency.

Has anyone else seen or heard of this bonanza ??

[Ken Grubb 1,233]

I just talked to a friend of mine from the UK about this. He recently received his long-term residence permit. He's lived in Turkey for 12 years. When he submitted his package for the LTRP, he only provided his criminal record check from Turkey, which he printed off from turkiye.gov.tr. In his interview, they didn't ask him to get a criminal record check from the UK.

Interestingly, they also didn't ask him for any paper from the police showing his entries and exits from Turkey over the last eight years. One of the immigration specialists worked it out using the computer with his previous passport, number, which he entered the country with, and his new passport, which he got while in Turkey.

They also didn't ask for a steady income. He is a teacher and recently stopped working because of some contract issue. But he had some 16,000 TL in a Turkish bank account, and they accepted that as well.

[Izmir Ted 3]

Very strange.  Congrats to your friend though for getting his LTRP !   

I've noticed that different provinces seem to have different procedures.  Also, the rules change constantly even within the same province.  My experience can be very different from another's, within the same office !

I"ll continue to apply for short-term though and hope I win the lottery and get a LTRP.  I just passed the 8 year constant residency mark, would have been sooner but I was going to Greece every 90 days to renew my tourist visa for awhile........

[Ken Grubb 1,233]

It actually differs from person to person. I talked to an immigration official and she told me that the process is supposed to go according to each individual person who wants a residence permit. So depending on that person, and even the immigration official's assessment of that person, what they ask for and what they accept will vary.

From reading what you said, it sounds like you are applying for a short-term residence permit, hoping to be given a long-term residence permit. It doesn't work like that... you have to apply for a long-term residence permit specifically. This is done as a first-time application, even if you already have a short-term residence permit. And you can do it at any time, you don't have to wait until your STRP expires. In fact, it's better to apply well before your STRP expires, because the LTRPs usually take longer to process.

[Izmir Ted 3]

Understood.  I was just saying originally that I know several people here who were given the long-term, even though they applied for short-term.  One guy has been here for decades.  And of course they had not provided a criminal records check, as it was not required for short-term.  It would be nice to be so fortunate.......

[Ken Grubb 1,233]

Strange... I have never heard of that before. It makes sense though, that is, even if you apply for a short-term residence permit, and qualify for a long-term one, they should be able to just give you one.