celticsfan90
19 May 2011 / #1
Okay, hello everyone, let me explain my situation, as it's complicated. I plan to study in Poland this September until December--for about 3 and a half months. Originally, I was going to get a long-term stay visa but the consulate office in the United States won't give me a visa because both my parents are Polish, meaning I'm a Polish citizen so I need a Polish passport--an even more bureaucratic and complicated process. The consulate office told me it would take 6+ months to get my Polish passport, which is problematic, since I leave for Poland in a little over 3 months. At this point, I'm considering entering Poland on my U.S. passport and seeing what happens. I emailed the university I will be studying at and was told we would take a "study trip" to Ukraine that would reset my 3-month limit. I'm skeptical of this because I've read elsewhere online that a Polish law now states you can only spend 3 months in Poland every 6-month timeframe.
Any suggestions on what I should do? This situation has been very stressful for me and my family and is making me re-consider studying in Poland. It astounds me that they will not give me a visa to study in their country just because I have a citizenship I don't even care to claim...
So to recap, here are my questions:
1) What happens if I stay in Poland for more than 3 months on my U.S. Passport? Do you think if I explain I was a student I'd just get to go? Or will I be fined/jailed/barred from entering the EU again?
2) Can I enter Poland with my U.S. passport and wait for my Polish passport to be processed, then leave on this passport? Will this cause problems with Polish/U.S. officials?
3) Will my study trip to Ukraine actually "reset" my 3-month limit in Poland, or is there still a law that nulls this?
Any suggestions on what I should do? This situation has been very stressful for me and my family and is making me re-consider studying in Poland. It astounds me that they will not give me a visa to study in their country just because I have a citizenship I don't even care to claim...
So to recap, here are my questions:
1) What happens if I stay in Poland for more than 3 months on my U.S. Passport? Do you think if I explain I was a student I'd just get to go? Or will I be fined/jailed/barred from entering the EU again?
2) Can I enter Poland with my U.S. passport and wait for my Polish passport to be processed, then leave on this passport? Will this cause problems with Polish/U.S. officials?
3) Will my study trip to Ukraine actually "reset" my 3-month limit in Poland, or is there still a law that nulls this?