Why formally legal work does not always mean a safe residence status in Poland In Polish law, several mechanisms allow foreigners to work legally. Formally, all of them permit employment, but their legal strength, stability, and impact on residence status differ significantly.This is where most practical mistakes occur: a foreigner works “legally”, yet loses a…
Can past illegal employment affect a new residence permit in Poland In residence permit cases, one of the most dangerous misconceptions is the belief that past illegal employment or a “grey area” in one’s work history automatically disappears once the current situation looks formally compliant. Polish law does not provide for a default review of…
Continuity of work rights under Polish law: legal framework and common misconceptions Continuity is not a legal right. It is merely the result of the fact that an existing right has not yet expired. One of the most dangerous misconceptions in the legalisation of work in Poland is the belief that submitting an application or…
Submitting an application ≠ extending the right to work One of the most common mistakes in the legalisation process is confusing the act of submitting an application with its legal effect. The assumption “I have submitted the documents, therefore I can work” may seem intuitive, but it does not correspond to Polish law. Submitting an…
Why Termination of an Employment Contract Affects the Legal Basis of Residence Termination of an employment contract does not automatically make a foreigner’s stay illegal.However, in most cases it undermines the legal basis of residence and triggers deadlines, obligations, and risks that are systematically underestimated. The key mistake is treating dismissal as a purely private…
Non-registered business and foreigners: the core legal principle Non-registered business activity (działalność nierejestrowana) is not a migration-related privilege and does not create an autonomous right to conduct business for foreigners. It is merely a simplified economic regime available exclusively to those foreigners who already have the right to conduct business in Poland on the same…
What Changed in the Rules on Employing Foreign Students from 1 December 2025 As of 1 December 2025, Poland has introduced a new legal framework governing the employment of foreign students who are nationals of third countries (outside the EU, EEA, and Switzerland). Unlike EU citizens, this category remains subject to the general system of…
Risks and consequences most foreign nationals underestimate Changing an employer while an application for a temporary residence and work permit (pobyt czasowy i praca) is still pending is one of the most legally sensitive situations in the entire legalization process in Poland. Not because such a change is explicitly prohibited. But because Polish immigration law…
And Why This Is the Stage Where the Voivode Filters Out Cases One of the most basic yet most frequently misunderstood categories in legalisation procedures is a foreigner’s access to the labour market. An error at this stage automatically nullifies all other arguments: salary level, type of contract, employer credibility, and even a formally correct…
Legal nature and scope of application (Article 5 of the Law on Entrepreneurs – Prawo przedsiębiorców) As of 1 January 2026, unregistered business activity (działalność nierejestrowana) remains a specific legal regime allowing a natural person to carry out minor economic activity without registration in CEIDG. This form of activity is often perceived as a “simple”…