Job Discussion Forums

[blaz44]

I taught in Poland for 18 months then moved back to Canada with my Polish wife. We will be returning to Poland soon and I will again be looking to teach. I am looking for information on obtaining legal documents pertaining to citizenship and work permits. Does anyone know what I would be entitled to as the husband of a Polish citizen. What about obtaining employment in other EU countries.

[Alex Shulgin]

[spiral78]

I am married to a Czech, which is not exactly the same as being married to a Polish citizen, I suppose. But I can tell you that all I currently have (after 8 years of marraige) is a stamp in my U.S. passport saying that I am the spouse of an EU member citizen, which is of very limited value in the older EU member states. I will actually become a citizen of the Czech Rep in another year, assuming I can pass the language exam (big yikes, am working hard to improve my just-functional language skills) and then I think, at the moment, I would be eligible to work in England, Netherlands, and one of the Scandinavian countries.....

It's probably pretty similar for spouses of Poland, but you should check with the Embassy for current details.

[joshsweigart]

You definitely don't need a work permit. In fact, if you do somehow manage to get one it will cause you problems. I got a work permit for this year through the Polish consulate in New York. Now, because they aren't needed, they want me to somehow get my passport back to them so that they can cancel the visa. Ha! I assume it's the same for Canadians.

[jeffra]

So, with the Work Permit situation being this way now, ....... ... what's the deal with leaving the country and re-entering at the 90 day mark repeatedly. Do we still have to perform this 90 day exit/entry task in order to stay within the Visa date requirements while holding a job here as an American citizen?

( I've been following This blog for a few months now, back there in the states while working on my liberal arts MA; and am here for a month in Southern Poland for christmas. I'm pounding the pavement From Namyslow to Wroclaw in order to prepare for coming back next summer to teach english during the following school year. )

And, forgive my lack of documentation, but I recall last summer 'reading somewhere' that a person who marries a polish citizen and lives in poland may not apply for citizenship until after the first 90 days in Poland, and then it takes at least 3 years after the date of application to achieve citizenship. The three year mark sounds similar to my recent experience here in the states with my last wife who was Polish, and just recieved her USA citizenship about a year ago-- and it was about three years to fulfill the several minimum time requirements along the way.
I could be mistaken as this would be some fast paperwork handling no matter how one looks at the situation hihihi.

thanks. J. R.

[naturegirl321]

[spiral78]

Not necessarily. Many countries allow dual citizenship. Unless there is a major shift in the law in the next 12 months, I'll soon be dual citizen of the Czech Rep and Poland.

[naturegirl321]

Sorry, you're right. It's the CZ that makes you give up your old citizenship when you get the CZ one. However, Poland doesn't acknowledge dual citizenship.

[spiral78]

Sorry, my first post was wrongly written . I will have dual U.S. and Czech. And the Czech Rep does NOT require me to give up the U.S. one.

No Polish.

[spiral78]

I don't mean to imply that I know the laws of Poland regarding dual citizenship. But I'd check into this requirement to give up the first one. It's not necessarily the case...unless someone here knows for sure?

[naturegirl321]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Czech_nationality_law
Citizens that have for at least 5 years (10 years until 2005) held a right for permanent residence and have resided in the Czech Republic for most of that time, can apply for Czech naturalization, if they can prove they have or will lose their original citizenship upon being granted Czech citizenship, is of good character and can prove proficiency in the Czech language. Parents can apply for their children under 15 years of age.

The residence requirement can be waived if the person has a permanent residence permit and
was born on the territory of the Czech Republic, or
has lived there for at least 10 years continuously, or
has held Czech citizenship before, or
was adopted by a Czech citizen, or
his or her spouse is a Czech citizen, or
at least one of his or her parents is a Czech citizen, or
has relocated to the Czech Republic before 31st December 1994 based on the invitation of the Czech government, or
is stateless or has the status of refugee in the Czech Republic


http://www.en.domavcr.cz/rady.shtml?x=157293
Proof that the applicant has lost his/her previous citizenship status or that he/she will certainly lose the same on acquiring Czech citizenship. In most cases, an official document of the applicant's home state must be presented, certifying that the applicant has ceased to be a citizen of this state, or that this state has never registered the applicant as its citizen, or that the legal regulations of this state link the acquisition of a foreign citizenship to the renunciation of the current citizenship (the Ministry may already be aware of that).
This requirement may be waived if the applicant has legally resided in the Czech Republic for at least five years (even if his/her permanent residence does not last the whole five years; residence on visa may be included in this period), and if

the applicant's home state cannot legally forfeit the applicant's citizenship (i.e. to deprive the applicant of his/her citizenship)

if the applicant's home state refuses to issue such a certificate

if filing a request for renunciation of citizenship might put the applicant or his/her family in danger

This requirement may be waived if the applicant has legally resided in the Czech Republic for more than twenty years}


Spiral78, Are you sure?

[naturegirl321]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polish_nationality_law
A person may be naturalised as a Polish citizen after 5 years residence in Poland with a permanent residence permit. In some circumstances, that person may be required to renounce any other citizenship held.

[spiral78]

I'm 100% sure that I qualify for the waiver. Have already been through all the channels. Frankly, I'd give up U.S. citizenship for Czech if I had to, but the authorities in Ceske Budejovice where my paperwork is filed are 100% certain that I don't need to.