USA, Canada / Marriage laws: dual citizenship (Polish and US) preparing to get married to an American. [65]

OH hell yeah...marriage in Poland takes at least 3-6 months of nonsense.

There are other posts with details but basically Poland requires an embassy letter saying you are free to marry. The US doesn't give these so they DO give you a letter saying they DON"T give such a letter...and rather than just accepting this Poland makes you go to court to acknowledge the letter that says there is no letter.(this can take a couple months) THEN you take the courts 'permission' and register to marry. (this can take another couple months). Once you get permission you then have to make an appointment to be legally married (so forget picking a special day unless you plan a year ahead of time).

It's like most things in Poland...layered in nonsense and fees.

Go to Las Vegas and you can marry in a drive through in 5 minutes with only ID and it IS legal.

USA, Canada / Marriage laws: dual citizenship (Polish and US) preparing to get married to an American. [65]

Agreed...my fiancee and I are trying to decide where to get married. Here in PL it is stupidly bureaucratic yet her family is here and could not all go to the US with us where it would be MUCH easier to marry.

I refrained from answering your questions because all I have at this point is conjecture. Depending on who you talk to you get different answers.

What I do know is this:

Marriage in the USA is done on the State/County level. Some States/Counties require a marriage license some do not. Sometimes it is as simple as paying a fee for the paper...others it requires a blood test and more paperwork. At worst it seems to take a week to get all the bits in order...at best you can be married in less than a day. To my knowledge you cannot be "denied" marriage unless you are already married and even then how would they know? (not advocating that just saying there is no way a state or county is going to be able to confirm your status in Poland) I don't think you even need to prove your immigration status.

US Immigration is going to be utterly unhelpful and contradictory if you contact them that is why there are loads of firms that help people through the legal hurdles (for a nice fee of course)

The US may be as hard or worse than Poland to get residency/legal in...the difference is in the US you wont have to stand in the cold for hours and pay people bribes to get it done. You can do it from the comfort of a nicee waiting room or the phone :) Isn't progress great ;)

USA, Canada / Marriage laws: dual citizenship (Polish and US) preparing to get married to an American. [65]

I know this is not an answer to your detailed questions but a bit of advice...DO NOT tell immigration or any US official you are planning to marry if you do decide to enter on a tourist visa to do this.

While yeah it is easier and many people do it, technically it is not allowed and all it takes is one jerk immigration officer who is in a bad mood to deny you entry (which they can do without giving you any reason).

Just go over like you normally do for a visit or holiday and don't mention a thing about marriage.

Work / Cost of Living, Average Salaries and Job sites in Poland [263]

If Poland depended on only natives here the prices would not be able to stay so high for things like restaurants etc...they would go out of business. Expats and business travelers support the costs.

Work / Cost of Living, Average Salaries and Job sites in Poland [263]

The prices you listed are realistic.

The reason people can afford it here is because they don't live alone normally. Families live together with more people in a flat than is common in the west.

You could get by on less if you don't eat out, don't drink much and take public transport.

Poland is not "cheap" relative to what you get...not anymore.

Life / Polish dubbing in movies; why is it so that on polish television all the films are dubbed? [135]

Yeah no matter where the movie is from I prefer original language and subtitles in my language...that way I can hear the original intent too instead of the same guys voice over and over...plus being able to hear the original language very quietly under the lektor is very annoying.

Work / Have been offered a job in Warsaw - should I move to Poland?? [48]

Personally...and everyone is different in their likes/dislikes so I am simply relaying my experience....for me it was more about the living. Jobs are jobs the world over and there is always a better deal somewhere so that is relative.

I do not like living here. I could list why but then I would only get jumped on by the uber patriots that seem to swarm looking for any bad thing said about Poland.

If you would like to know details feel free to send me a PM.

Cheers.

Work / Have been offered a job in Warsaw - should I move to Poland?? [48]

Move to Poland....the original question.

Law / Help collecting Karta Pobytu in Warsaw [49]

I am not sure if you are mocking me or not...if not I apologize for the assumption.

It is a fact that Poland like all developing countries cannot stand alone. They need help and investments from other more developed and wealthier countries to maintain and improve the quality of life they now have.

If you took out foreign investment and business Poland would be devastated economically...cheap labor and land has brought business from across the EU here...the indiginous skilled labor has mostly left for more money in the UK etc...

This is not criticism or insult is is simply fact.

My irritation comes with the constant assertion of how mighty and super Poland is when this is all just empty bluster...

I believe they want so badly to be strong for the first time in modern history that they can't see what the reality is...that they are a developing nation that is fragile and has many issues to work through.

Law / Help collecting Karta Pobytu in Warsaw [49]

Lukasz the dollar is weak universally right now...has nothing to do with the Zl....and even with it's lower value I know I earn much more than you...and guess what...it doesn't mean a thing.

If the US was not putting so much money into the Polish economy...paying for your soldiers to go to war...giving aid and equipment...the PLN would not be so strong so your assessments are wrong.

Poland cannot stand alone...economically, militarily, technologically....it needs help and your pride won't let you admit that.

Law / Help collecting Karta Pobytu in Warsaw [49]

What is your obsession with my penis size? It is creepy.

Law / Help collecting Karta Pobytu in Warsaw [49]

I know many expats and Polish that know this to be true...and I started the thread to get info but Lukasz jumped in with the "go home" garbage rather than owning up to the shortcomings here....

The pride thing again...

I have no problem admitting my own and my nations problems....

The people I DO like here will agree and bring up the problems themselves and better yet they have ideas how to fix it! Imagine that....

Law / Help collecting Karta Pobytu in Warsaw [49]

Are you stuck on repeat man? You keep saying telling me to do what I said I was going to do...maybe it is lost in translation.

Now I am not being a hypocrite as my Polish is very poor as well but I noticed you have some trouble putting together coherent English sentences. I have a good friend who is a teacher and I am sure he could give you a special rate because of your disability...he tries to be kind to the mentally delayed.

And for a member of the smartest race on the planet I find it odd you didn't know that Brazil was in South America rather than Africa or Asia....maybe you are having an off day...we all do.

And as to your comment about my genitals...I am not at all lacking in self confidence and am not homophobic like male Poles seem to be so this doesn't bother me as you would like it too.

Work / Have been offered a job in Warsaw - should I move to Poland?? [48]

To answer your question....if I had it to do all over I would not.

Law / Help collecting Karta Pobytu in Warsaw [49]

Wow...telling me to do something I am already going to do...now that is the true definition of power....you are mighty my friend...I tremble in your shadow.

And my home is not the second room of my parent's two room flat that I share with my aunt...such as I am sure yours is.

Enjoy.

Law / Help collecting Karta Pobytu in Warsaw [49]

You are a strange cat Lukasz...

And you also have some delusions if you think you can command anything of me.

Law / Help collecting Karta Pobytu in Warsaw [49]

Ah my Portuguese is limited to Ola...my apologies.

Law / Help collecting Karta Pobytu in Warsaw [49]

Nope...I have been paying my way with money earned from the US (and thus I am putting money INTO the Polish economy but not taking any out...like many expats) but was looking into to working here for a bit....but now with the new Schengen rules for yanks and the trouble with the karta pobytu I don't think it is worth it...have to do some thinking along with gf.

Where are you from?

Law / Help collecting Karta Pobytu in Warsaw [49]

And that is the problem with most Poles I meet...they cant just be proud of what IS good and what they have accomplished...they have to run it into the ground and tell you how they are the smartest and the best and how everyone else sucks.

I have never met a culture that likes to complain more and I am American! People in the US complain about everything.

And mind you I have lived here for a while...will marry a Pole..and love her family and friends so I am far from a xenophobe...just realistic.

Law / Help collecting Karta Pobytu in Warsaw [49]

Yeah...stop letting your pride run your mouth...like zion says focus on the things that are right and fix the things that are not...only you can do this.

I would love to see everyone pick up and leave just to prove to people like you that this country is not such a super power as you think...but then that would hurt the good folks here so I guess I don't really want that.

It's a shame people like you give Poles a bad name.

Law / Help collecting Karta Pobytu in Warsaw [49]

You misread my point...it wasn't about color it was about nationalities that NEED to have EU citizenship or residency for a better life....I don't. I could have just as easily been born in a poor third world country so I do not think I am better than them...only luckier by birth.

And don't give me the self righteous attitude...Poles are some of the most racist people I know....all white themselves and treat the Asians, Arabs and Africans here poorly.

I know what is wrong with my country and I make no excuses about it...Poles can't seem to do that in large...their pride is so huge they even hurt themselves with their stubbornness.

I also hate people with your attitude...if you want all the foreigners to leave Poland fine...we will take our business and money with us and your economy will collapse. Say whatever you want about it but the fact is foreign investment, business and factories is what keeps Poland afloat...it is not an insult...just a fact.

Law / Help collecting Karta Pobytu in Warsaw [49]

Oh brother...I have been here a while...it is nothing new I have just reached my personal limit.

The thing that kills me is I have to listen all day to Poles telling me how great and modern this country is....yet day after day they are proven wrong.

My gf was raised here and SHE hates as do all of her friends and family it so I know it isn't me being a racist.

I think we will just move to the States and say screw it...this place is not worth the hassle of waiting in the cold for 4 hours at 4am. I know it is for the Asians and Africans I had to wait behind for hours because for them it is a back door ticket into the EU...I truly don't care about that...I was just trying to make it more convenient for us.

Law / Help collecting Karta Pobytu in Warsaw [49]

No I am American...I already went through all the horrid application and queuing nonsense a month ago. Now I just need to go pick it up but it seems that is just as hard or harder than submitting. I only did this because of the new Schengen rules.

I know it is the way things are done here but there is no way I am paying even more money for a place in line to get this thing...I will say screw it and leave Poland before I will play any more games. I was already at my limit by the time I finished the application process and spent so much money. You would think picking something up would be a snap...not in Poland. Home sweet home is looking better daily.

So the Plac Bankowy office is for submissions only?

Thanks for the reply though...appreciate the suggestions.

Law / US Marrying Polish in Poland [14]

Even if living in PL it takes at least 3-6 months to do all the paperwork and meet the requirements to be allowed to set a date and get married. In the USA you can do it in ONE day.

We (gf and I)are flying to the states to do it...cheaper and easier.

Then just come back to PL and register it....done.

Oops sorry didn't see how old the post was! I guess the OP is either married or divorced by now ;)