Turkish citizens who are already working legally in the United Kingdom
This section explains how Turkish citizens may benefit from the European Community Association Agreement (ECAA) with Turkey if they are already working legally in the United Kingdom and want to extend their stay.
This section offers a brief guide to the rules. For more information, you should read the full casework instruction in Chapter 5, Section 10 of the immigration directorate instructions.
If you are a Turkish citizen who is legally employed in the United Kingdom because you have a visa that gives you permission to work, a decision by the Association Council of the ECAA has given you certain rights. You may:
- apply for further permission to stay in the United Kingdom after you have worked here for one year, so that you can continue to work for the same employer (if a job is available);
- change employers after you have been working here for three years, if you are continuing to work in the same occupation; and
- work in any type of job for any employer after you have been working here for four years.
If your application is successful, we will give you permission to stay as a Turkish ECAA worker.
You will not be able to apply for permission to stay here permanently (known as 'indefinite leave to remain').
You cannot benefit from the ECAA if you have breached United Kingdom immigration law in order to be able to work. If this is the case, you will need to meet the requirements of the current immigration rules - this means that you will need to apply for permission to stay and work here under Tier 2 of the points-based system.
To apply for permission to stay in the United Kingdom as a Turkish ECAA worker, you should complete application form ECAA 1 Turkish Employed. You can find this application form, and more information, on the How to complete form ECAA 1 page.
You can also apply for permission for your dependants to remain in the United Kingdom with you. You can do this by listing your dependants on form ECAA 1, or your dependants can apply separately using form ECAA 3.
Frequently Asked Questions
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What is my immigration status while my application is being decided?
If you make an application before your authorised stay ends, your existing immigration status will continue until your application is decided, even if the decision is not made until after the end of your permitted stay. If your existing visa or other permission to stay here allows you to work, you can continue to do so until your case is decided.