Canadian moving to Poland - Work Permits, Work Visas and a few questions

Hi All,

I am in the process of moving to Poland over the course of the next year. I am a Canadian citizen and should be working there next summer.

My employer needs to go through the process of getting me a Work Permit, which I then need to take to the embassy in my country to get a work visa. This will allow me to enter and work in the country.

My question is this:

1. Is it difficult for employers in Poland to get Work Permits for Non-EU foreigners?

I have also read that it is only possible for Polish employers to hire foreigners if there is no, or limited, Polish labor in that sector. Point number 2 on this page: justlanded/english/Poland/Poland-Guide/Visas-Permits/Work-permits

2. Does anyone know if this is still in fact the case in Poland? Are they very strict about giving out work permits?

I have a degree in fine arts and will be working as a restaurant manager. So my university degree does not really match with the work I will be doing. Although I will be working in a relatively remote area about 50 kilometres outside of Warsaw, in between Serock and Pułtusk.

Any thoughts, experiences regarding this process would me much appreciated. I am looking to get as much insight as I can about the workings of getting this kind of paper work done.

Cheers and thanks

Hey Roalex,

it is not so difficult. At first your employer will have to advertise a position, looking for a person in EU, but he can ask for some special knowledge in this ad, for example: "Fluent french or english + canadian work background or knowledge of canadian kitchen" or something specific, so after several weeks of 'searching' he (surely) won't find a candidate and will apply with your candidacy. Of course, your salary should be adequate to a market average for your position. That's it. You can get a work permit up to 3 years, however, it depends on Voevoda's (Governor) decision.

Thanks for the reply. If anyone else has anymore insight into this please give as much info as possible.

Cheers

Hey again,

I just thought of another issue that may come up with the Work Permit. The reason I ask is from my past experience living in Taiwan. In Taiwan for foreigners to get work permits and residency cards they must have university degrees that relate to their designated job. For example a chef must have some sort of culinary arts background and related educational experience. Engineers must have a degree in engineering. About the only thing in Taiwan that unrelated to your degree is teaching English. In this case the Taiwanese government only wants you to have completed a university degree, in any field. I met a teacher who finished a degree in Parks and Recreation Management, and he'd been teaching in the country for 6 years.

Is this the case as well in Poland? Does your university degree need to relate to the position you are being hired for?

As I have a degree in Fine Arts will I be able to get hired at the restaurant I want to work at?

Cheers again

I don't think that degree is required. They just need to translate your diploma as one of documents required for a work permit petition.

Merged: Youth Mobility Visa for Canadians

Hi, I am wondering if there is anyone on this forum who has ever gotten a youth mobility visa to Poland, or any other type of extended visa for that matter. I am looking into getting one from the Polish embassy in Canada, but I can't really find much information on which grounds they grant them. According to the website for Canada's youth mobility agreement, all you have to do is have enough funds for a few months, and state that you will be looking for a job. Seems simple enough, and apparently they can grant them for up to 12 months. Maybe the catch is that if you don't find work in Poland (pretty likely for an English speaking foreigner) they deport you. And I don't want that to happen, so I'm hesitant to apply.

If anyone knows anything about this I would appreciate your input. Thanks.

Also, if someone knows anything about the chances of English jobs in Gliwice for young people, it would be great to hear. I looked into an international application for Super-Pharm, since they are canadian, but predictably Polish was required.