The government is tightening the Polish visa system. There was abuse, including recruitment for studies.
The Head of the Permanent Committee of the Council of Ministers, announced on Tuesday that the Government’s Work Programming Team had approved a law aimed at permanently eliminating pathologies in the visa system. This law will significantly change the rules for issuing work and student visas, tightening the entire system.
The project, prepared by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MSZ), highlights that irregularities in the Polish visa system are due to uncontrolled migration since 2015, caused by three main factors. The first is the lack of systemic solutions in migration policy, leading to a high number of work permits for unskilled workers from high-risk countries, including Bangladesh, the Philippines, India, Kenya, Nepal, Nigeria, Pakistan, Rwanda, Tanzania, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Zimbabwe. The second issue is the abuse of easy student visa paths by foreigners who use them to work or migrate to other Schengen countries. Thirdly, there are organizational difficulties in legalizing foreigners’ stays in Poland.
The document proposes changes to the system of issuing national visas for study purposes and temporary residence permits. Foreigners must demonstrate language proficiency at the B2 level, pass an entrance exam, or undergo an interview to assess their knowledge or aptitudes. For second-cycle studies, they must present a diploma recognized by NAWA and demonstrate language proficiency.
The Minister of Higher Education will be empowered to define language proficiency requirements for foreigners. The POL-on system will be expanded to include a database of individuals admitted to studies, with consuls and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs having access to this data. Universities will be required to notify consuls if a foreigner does not begin their studies.
The conditions for admitting foreigners to studies will be expanded, requiring them to submit documents recognized by NAWA, demonstrate language proficiency, and pass exams or interviews. Non-public academic institutions will also be included in the approval system.
Changes will also apply to work visas and employment of foreigners in Poland, with amendments to the Employment Promotion Act and the Foreigners Act. Provincial governors will be required to refuse work permits if applications appear fraudulent or if employers fail to meet obligations. Employers must also notify authorities if a foreigner does not start work or interrupts work for extended periods.
The project includes modifications to criminal provisions related to foreign employment, with fines based on the number of illegally employed foreigners. Additionally, the Minister of the Economy may establish quotas for the number of work permits and visa applications processed, especially during emergencies such as wars or natural disasters.
Leave a Reply