Resident Permit/NIP?

Okay..so im an expat and I have applied for a residence permit as I have work promise (teaching english and enrolled to study the lovely yet difficult polish language..however I was wondering if I am able to start work while waiting for my resident permit to come through or not?

And also I'm reading things about NIP..can someone please elaborate on this and whether I need this before my work pays me or not...

Any advice would be good

No on the working until you are approved...so I was told in labor and immigration offices..but you know how that goes.

They (offices) also said you DO need the NIP first as it is your tax identifier and figures into your paychecks etc....though I have had people tell me they did work while waiting for the NIP. You get it at the Urzad Skarbowy (Tax Office) for your area. Google maps usually brings these up if you type that name plus the district. They told me it takes 2 weeks and people are saying between that and three is how long it took them to get it. I have to wait on some other stuff to apply for mine so can't say for sure.

Again...I am relaying what I was told most recently...but they tend to change their minds. I am trying to go it solo so don't have colleagues to ask but do you work for a school?

Yeah I'm at a private language school. so maybe I'll ask around and get some help.
Thanks for the feedback...as I was really wondering about the whole issue of working whilst awaiting for the decision regarding resident permit..but Im confused as to how long it takes to get the card..from some I heard 3-4 weeks but the lady said 2-3 months at the office for foreigners...but seriously, is a job going to wait that long?

I guess its just the polish way...

But can I apply for a NIP even if I haven't got my resident permit or do I still have to wait for that too?

Why are things so unclear and hard to work out!

As they have told me in the offices: You don't need the residence permit to apply for the NIP...just a legal right to be here (which as an Aussie is probably a visa free travel stamp at this point yeah?)

On the time I can't say for a non-EU foreigner as the people I know that have gotten them are EU. But they did tell me at the offices that it takes 2 weeks (which always means at least 4) for us non EU folks.

The Polish way is that there is no way. It changes with the wind and it is incredibly frustrating.

I agree a job wouldn't wait so I am sure people are working somehow legally or just ignoring the rules. It takes about half the year each year for a non EU person to get everything you need for the next year.

Another issue is that anyone teaching English for a private school or any agency NOT registered with the Ministry of Education as a school (like High Schools etc) are supposed to have a Work Permit. You get this at the Urzad Pracy (Work Office) This is one of the documents needed to get a Residence Permit for working. This document takes a couple months usually and is a pain in the arse. Many times people with jobs at private schools have someone at the school handle all this and may not be aware of the details.

Oh my god...
The thought of it gives me a headache

Tell me about it...I have had many a head exploding moment and I am not even half way there.

I would frankly not even bother if I didn't have to for now. It is not worth the trouble if you have the option.

But if you have already turned in your app you must know everything you need as if something was missing they would tell you and request it. So you must be on track.

They have to give you a NIP - they can't refuse one. It can take up to two weeks to wait for, but usually less. Depends on the workload in the town you're at. If a private language school say they can't pay you until you've got it (the oldest trick in the book) remind them that they can submit your tax form with a passport number instead.

You shouldn't need a work permit if you're from an English-speaking country. Opinions differ on this, and Polish-owned schools don't generally know about the latest regulations. Or pretend they don't so they can pop your wages in a term deposit for a month or two. One poor American guy I knew had to wait 5 months to get paid, due to Polish staff in the language school not wanting to make a potential wrong decision.

There's a Yahoogroup called Polang, somewhat defunct now but with a search function, also the ESL Cafe, both of which have information on the work permit issue. You still need a residence permit though.

Remember that in Poland, everything is down to the decisions of capricious minor civil servants, and things vary hugely from town to town, though Warsaw is slowly getting better. I've heard Krakow isn't.

Your work permit info is "sort of" incorrect. I have been around and around with this and was finally shown the law in a book in the Urzad Pracy (Work Office) and since they are the one's who give the permits they are the authority on this part of the game.

Being a native speaker is only part of it. A native speaker doesn't need a work permit if he works for a school that is approved by the government as an educational institution like a High School or University. Private schools are registered as businesses not educational institutions normally (there may be some big ones that are but most are not I have been informed)

So if you work for a private school you need the permit. The schools often handle that but may not.

Now none of that means you might not slip through if someone is not worried about it...but generally when things don't go according to the rules it is NOT when that would help you but rather the opposite.