Law / Got Polish citizenship, now I need a Pesel and passport [26]


amen.


But you need to be registered to stay anywhere in Poland, surely. If Kay is living in Warsaw, she should have zameldowanie, and her local USC / delegatura should issue the appropriate documents. I too had to go back and forth between offices until they acknowledged this.

Kay, best get it done in Australia - I'm sure you'll have more success.

Law / Got Polish citizenship, now I need a Pesel and passport [26]


Oh I'm sure one would....

From what I can remember, you can get your passport through the consulate who processed your citizenship. If not, you have to go to the passport office in Warsaw.

My PESEL was eventually awarded by the USC (Urzad Stanu Cywilnego). I had to provide the documentation from the other offices I went to - I think it was proof of registration (zameldowania) from the local delegatura, a letter from the president confirming my citizenship and maybe something else from the passport office.

Sorry I can't be more help - the people in the offices are bastards and they look for any reason to get out of helping you. If you have some spare time, this looks possibly helpful - it has the address of the Warsaw USC if nothing else transparent.com/polish/tag/urzad-stanu-cywilnego/

Otherwise, it might actually be worth checking out out one of those private immigration firms - I think they will handle all the paperwork for you.

UK, Ireland / I worry about the Poles working in the UK [77]


I suppose it would depend on the individual. I know some Poles working as consultants in the NHS who are obviously needed by the country and would be difficult to replace. Then again, I know others who are in low paid factory jobs which could be done by local British workers. Some of them would probably be better off moving to Germany for example and finding work there but it might be difficult for others who have started families. What do you reckon? Should they stick it out and wait for the upturn?

UK, Ireland / I worry about the Poles working in the UK [77]


Whether or not they go home will be based on how well they have assimilated into British society, whether they have employment and so on. I'm not saying they should or shouldn't.

UK, Ireland / I worry about the Poles working in the UK [77]


Good question! The only benefit of mass unemployment I can see is for large business owners, who gain a large disposable pool of labour who are willing to put up with low salaries and poor conditions (the function Poles have been serving for the past couple of years). However, in the long run, nobody can buy products and services and the economy stalls.

UK, Ireland / I worry about the Poles working in the UK [77]


Sorry had to go and meet friends, do some odds and ends with the wife. You know - guy stuff. How was the evening on the internet?


True. I didn't want to single out Britain as the only racist society but you'll find discrimination everywhere and the UK is not immune to it. The best selling newspaper is the Daily Mail, the BNP was winning seats in local government recently and it wasn't too long ago that you could watch shows like the Black and White minstrel show and Bless this house on nationwide TV - look for the episodes on youtube and there'll be a dozen people commenting that it was a shame they were taken off the air because everyone, including black people, found them funny.


OK OK. The point is that Poles and other migrant workers are probably going to get treated more roughly (through harrassment, ostracism, possible violence) by the local people as conditions worsen. This happens in every country to all national / ethnic groups.

UK, Ireland / I worry about the Poles working in the UK [77]


And you are telling me that all the 'Pakis out' style graffitti and NF / EDL marchs are simply the way inner city people extend their hand to foreigners? You are in denial. Britain is a fundamentally racist society and has been for centuries. The only reason you've never noticed is because you haven't been the minority - Although it is a sad comment on British society if you represent the norm.

UK, Ireland / I worry about the Poles working in the UK [77]


Oh I remember you now - you're the one on the steroids, aren't you? Look, just ask your carer to write to the Inland Revenue when you're not 'roid raging and they will explain it to you.


No, but the Poles are probably the largest homogenous segment of migrant labour so they'll get most of the bile. Also, ask whoever looks after you to reread the section I wrote about the govt pushing through new legislation.

UK, Ireland / I worry about the Poles working in the UK [77]


What home grown industries exist in NI? One of the big problems with Ireland is that they can't get their own act together and rely on selling cheap labour to multinationals. Oh yes - the Irish have played the undercutting game as well...


Hang on a sec I'll get you a medal


Don't worry. You have something like 5 or 6 years to make up the shortfall.


I'm worried about unemployment and poverty causing dissatisfaction amongst an uneducated working class that boils over into migrant bashing and draconian laws cutting back further on civil liberties. Even now the police are asking the govt for more powers to stop and search anyone they want. Wait and see, Pennboy. Wait and see

UK, Ireland / I worry about the Poles working in the UK [77]


Wait and see. Migrant labourers are always the first to get scapegoated for the government's mistakes. Expect anti-migrant discourse to be ramped up as the conditions get worse.


They have, duh.


Seasonal workers, duh.

Language / Slovio - the international simplified Slavic language [37]


I'm sure in the virtual kitchen of your mind there are also unicorns and goblins helping with the dishes but it doesn't mean I can ask them to chop my vegetables. Similarly, there is nothing real that distinguishes 'slavs' from 'the rest of the world. Slavic languages share some features as do some people who speak them but there is no slavic race or people these days.


Sorry, you're saying there's a Slavic gene?

Language / Slovio - the international simplified Slavic language [37]


Spot on - it'll probably be ignored by the rest of the forum though

Law / I am married to a Polish citizen. How can I get residency? [36]


So apart from the fact that his English is good, he has residency in the states and doesn't display the hallmarks of a visa scammer, you say he is a visa scammer? Genius

Work / If you were to compere Polish Unis and Unis/Colleges in your country... [75]


You obviously have a lot to learn about IT jobs.

Work / If you were to compere Polish Unis and Unis/Colleges in your country... [75]


Maybe, but considering the huge demand for IT specialists at the moment, the typically uncreative nature of the job (perfect for Polish degrees) and the fact that most of the graduates spend all their leisure time playing with computers, it's not surpising is it? That and they charge half the price of graduates from the UK

Work / If you were to compere Polish Unis and Unis/Colleges in your country... [75]


Yes, that sounds like bulsht on their part - more likely everyone was on holiday for the Summer.

Unfortunately unis in Polad are graded on the basis of research and publications rather than quality of teaching. Until that changes, there won't be any improvement for the students.

Life / The Polish school? What's it like. [26]


Well done! I'm sure you were exemplary in all of them.

News / John Godson, born in Nigeria, might become Poland Sejm's first black deputy! [313]


Don't the people vote for him?

Life / The Polish school? What's it like. [26]


Not to mention that they do something like 12 different subjects at high school. They get to university without any real depth of knowledge - the content is all memorised from lessons for exams, most of which of course is promptly forgotten.


The teachers I know do very little planning and I know for sure there isn't the same level of pastoral care / professional development required in the UK. If they are so busy, how come they find time to do private classes?

Life / The Polish school? What's it like. [26]

Poland has the highest percentage of students getting to tertiary education in Europe and the lowest per capita spending. What do you reckon?

Life / Cost of Living in Lodz [50]

You can easily live on 3000 a month - I know couples who are bringing a child up on that combined income. Your big expenditures will be from accommodation and maybe bills (although that depends on your landlord).

Water/phone/electricity/Internet is for sure another 1000 PLN.

A month? No way

Law / Does anyone here know how to fill in a PIT/ZG form (earnings in Poland)? [5]

Thanks Cracow - I'll just choose column b or maybe just see the local tax office about it...

Life / Why is cheating at schools in Poland accepted?! [155]

I blame the ludicrously exam-driven system over here

Love / Why do Polish women prefer foreigners for boyfriends and husbands? [418]


Help me out here. How does being Jewish preclude you from being Polish anyway? Judaism is a religion is it not? Can you say 'more Polish than Catholic' or 'more Indian than Hindu'? Of course not.


I agree, hot cheeks. Now go get me a sandwich :)

Work / Is it normal for companies/schools in Poland to be rude? [116]


True. I guess the degree functions as a gatekeeper though - keeping the 'undesirables' out of certain professions - more than actually training people to do jobs. It'll take a fundamental shift in public perception to acknowledge that many jobs that graduates now do could be done by a school leaver with some life experience and a bit of common sense.

Still, with the expansion of the private sector, who knows?

Work / Is it normal for companies/schools in Poland to be rude? [116]


Interesting. Do you really think that the success of an education system is measured purely by its ability to 'teach numeracy and literacy'? There's nothing more? Well, not if all you want are graduates able to work machines in factories I suppose.

Anyway, the big problem with being a teacher in Poland is that the system is geared towards passing exams. When you teach a language, you are only training students to pass an exam and anyone with a coursebook and a working knowledge of the target language can do this. The profession has become so dumbed down that I'm not surprised that teachers have no respect from management, students or indeed, other teachers.

Walk into any state sector teachers' room and you will see it filled with people smoking ciggies and moaning about how unfair it is they earn so little and only get 4 months' holiday a year to spend in their second house in the country (paid for by hubby). They keep their jobs because the system makes it impossible for natives who invest in their own development (CELTA, DELTA etc) to compete with them on equal terms.

It would be interesting to see if this ties in with other people's experience of other sectors.

Love / What do Polish guys think of Irish girls? [187]


How can a half-caste be inbred, Cletis?

Study / Medical Study in Poland [22]


True. The teaching infratructure here is nowhere near as developed in the UK. I'd doubt the students in Poland get as much benefit from their time at uni.