Job Discussion Forums

Lavaboy · Joined: 31 Jul 2006 Posts: 16

As an American wanting to work in Poland I'm seriously confused now. Since I started the process of looking for work there a month ago, I have been under the impression that in order to get a work permit I would have to arrange work with a school before I set foot in Poland; or if I came to Poland and found work, that I'd have to fly back briefly to the US to get the work visa from the Polish consulate.

Now, there's a DOS at a school saying that, actually, I can come and start working while waiting for the permit in Poland (without having to go back to the States). As another option, he said that I can go to the tax office in Poland and work at the school as self-employed.

Does anyone have any experience at all with these two options?

philyyy · Joined: 29 May 2005 Posts: 93 Location: Wroclaw

I worked with an American teacher last year and I'm pretty certain that he was in the country for the entire period of his work permit being processed. I do know that it took a lot longer and a lot more paperwork than us E.U. nationals to get his stuff sorted out but it didn't seem to be a major problem. What school are you looking at working for? How easy it seemed to me, may not truly reflect the reality, our Directors asssistant was good at these kind of things and at an I.H. school. I wouldn't be so certain if you end up with a less reputable school. Ring the Polish embassy in the U.S. and ask them to truly clarify things.

Gajah Oling · Joined: 28 Feb 2005 Posts: 62 Location: Jawa

As an American who just worked in Poland last year I can confirm that you must get your work visa through the Polish consulate in your region (god help you if you live in the midwest and must go through Chicago!) Same thing goes for Canada, by the way.

I don't know what the owner of this school is promising you, but it sounds illegal. If you can live with that risk, take it.

redsoxfan · Joined: 18 Oct 2005 Posts: 178 Location: Dystopia

I researched the same topic for months last fall. My knowledge on the topic is somewhere between expertise and knowing less than I did before I started! Why? Because the more you research any such matters in Poland, the more varying answers you get.

However, I am rather sure that you don't need to return to the States. But your passport does. Legally, your school is responsible for doing everything, including paying the 900 or so zlotys for the work permit. There are a dozen or so steps to getting your work permit: the school must provide proof that it is straight with the taxman, you have to provide a copy of your university degree (which probably needs to be translated from Latin into Polish by a licensed translator), you need to pay 50 zl to the police and they'll give you a statement that you have a clean criminal record in Poland, your school needs to put an ad up in the unemployment office (Urzad Pracy) for a month regarding your position to make sure that no Polish person can fill your post...and some other stuff.

Now, if your school has done this before, it shouldn't be a problem. If they haven't, good luck. I went through most of the whole bloody process, only to find out in the end that my school owes money to ZUS, thus preventing a statement of good-standing from ZUS.

The good news: I'm 90% sure that you can send your passport by mail back to the States for your visa. I'd be skeptical about taking a job with any school who hired you by phone, because it'd seem like they're desperate for teachers. PM me if you want more info.

freudling1000 · Joined: 23 Aug 2006 Posts: 50

You can send your passport by mail back to your home country, but I won't give all the details on the sure-fire-way. Just work without the papers, don't worry about it. Corruption is rampid out here, join us won't you!

redsoxfan · Joined: 18 Oct 2005 Posts: 178 Location: Dystopia

Working without papers could be an option if you only plan to stay here one year. It seems that most people who come to Poland stay longer. Working without papers means that you'll be crossing a border every three months. There's also a chance that they won't restamp you, albeit a small one. You also have no legal ground to stand on if your school screws you, as you have no valid contract. Working without a contract is really not the way to go. As I said, it's the school's obligation to get you a contract, to do all the paperwork, and to pay for it. Why not just politely demand that they do so?

spiral78 · Joined: 05 Apr 2004 Posts: 11534 Location: On a Short Leash

'rampid' corruption?

Get the documentation you need. It's a hassle, but it's doable with persistance.

caramel · Joined: 25 Aug 2004 Posts: 57 Location: London

From working with Americans in the past here, they have had to go back to their local consulate in the states to get a visa because I guess they didn't trust sending their passport in the post. This meant they technically worked illegally here for the first couple of months which I guess is overlooked by the authorities. But if you are going to stay here for more than a year then you need to get stuff like a police record and history of your tax to get a residency permit.

gregoryfromcali · Posted: Fri Sep 15, 2006 3:26 pm Post subject:

Jack-1 · Joined: 18 Jul 2006 Posts: 10

Hi,
I was offered a job after I interviewed on the phone and they told me that I should come as a tourist and they would take care of my work visa after I got there. I did the research and this didn�t agree with what I found, so I wrote them telling them I would take the job but needed clarification on this first.
I�m still just as confused as the next guy. Is it legal or not?

svenhassel · Joined: 04 Aug 2006 Posts: 188 Location: Europe

haven't work visa restrictions been relaxed recently?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/5301186.stm

see the bottom of the article.

Alex Shulgin · Joined: 20 Jul 2003 Posts: 553

There is no longer a need for native speakers to have a work permit to teach foreign languages in Poland.

The official government decision:
http://www.mpips.gov.pl/index.php?gid=339&news_id=501 in Polish

An article about it:
http://www.euractiv.com/en/mobility/poland-opens-doors-non-eu-graduates/article-157448

Wild Bill · Joined: 29 Aug 2006 Posts: 37

A bunch of us did this a few years back. It was a bit of a hassle, but it was do-able. It took a couple of trips to Krakow and the province capital and some paperwork, but it wasn't too bad.

Jack-1 · Joined: 18 Jul 2006 Posts: 10

oh that's a great help! thanks for posting that article!

redsoxfan · Joined: 18 Oct 2005 Posts: 178 Location: Dystopia

Alex, what are the exact implications of this decision? Can non-EU citizens automatically get a Karta Pobytu? I suppose if we can work in Poland legally, we would need the right to live here legally. And how does one pay taxes? I guess I just don't understand precisely what this decision means, in particular with regard to the elusive karta pobytu.