Relocate from US to Poland
American citizens can relocate to Poland if they wish to do so. However, for this to happen, they have to go through various immigration steps imposed by the Polish authorities. Prior to moving to Poland, American citizens should apply for a specific visa, but exemptions from this rule are available based on a diplomatic exchange of notes signed between Poland and the United States of America (USA) in 1991.
The order of the procedures for Poland immigration is the following: verify if you, as an American citizen, must apply for a visa, verify the type of visa you require (Poland issues two basic types of visas, for short-term stays and for long-term stays), submit the necessary paperwork and then wait for the issuance of the document.
This will allow the person, if the visa is needed, to enter this country for a given period of time. If the visa is issued for a period of maximum 90 days, the purpose of the arrival in Poland will be considered a short-time stay, be it for traveling, business, studies or otherwise.
If the visa is issued for a period longer than 90 days and up to a year, then, according to the Polish law, the respective person should apply for a residence permit in this country and our team of immigration lawyers in Poland can assist with advice on the steps involved in this procedure.
How can American citizens apply for Polish visas?
The procedure starts by applying for a visa with the Polish consulate or embassy operating in the region where the American citizen lives, which can be found in large cities such as New York, Chicago, Los Angeles and others. As presented above, the Polish legislation prescribes two types of visas addressed to American citizens: short-term visas, issued for a period of up to 90 days (Schengen visas A and C) and the long-term visa, issued for a period of minimum 90 days and up to 365 days (National Visa D).
Regardless of what type of visa the person has obtained for Poland migration, if the stay in this country will be prolonged, it will be necessary to apply for a residence permit, in most of the cases. American citizens who are the holders of a Polish visa can also request the extension of the visa, but only for specific legal reasons. For example, in the case of a National Visa D, the extension can be granted only once, if the below conditions are met at the same time:
• the issuance is justified by a personal or professional reason of the applicant;
• the person can’t return to his or her home country due to humanitarian reasons;
• the extension is requested based on unpredictable events that were not taken into consideration at the moment in which the person applied for a visa;
• the person will apply for an extension only for the declared purposes and no other reasons can be identified;
• there aren’t any legal grounds for which the extension can’t be granted under the Polish law.
How can one apply for a long-term stay visa in Poland?
The long-stay visa application must be made with the Consular Office operating in the USA. In order for the application to be processed, the applicant must submit all the required papers, and this is why is it very important to verify the required conditions. If the paperwork satisfies the requirements imposed in Poland, then the person will complete an online form. Additional information can be obtained from the Office for Foreigners.
However, it is also required to print a hard copy and bring it in person to the Consular Office, this being an important step for the process of Poland immigration. The application can be processed in a period of 15 days and a person can legally apply for a visa within three months prior to his or her visit to Poland. Our immigration lawyers in Poland can offer more details on other steps involved in the process.
How many foreigners live in Poland?
Poland has one of the highest inward migration rates registered at a European level. Moving to Poland has become increasingly attractive for numerous nationalities, European and otherwise. In 2019, Poland reached a new record level of foreigners living in this country (in an analysis that took into consideration the persons who have a permanent residence permit). The following data is available:
• the Office for Foreigners declared the country has approximately 400,000 foreigners relocate here on a permanent basis;
• a large proportion of the foreigners living here arrive in this country for work related purposes, most of whom are persons with an age below 40 years;
• almost 50% of all the foreigners living here on a permanent basis are from Ukraine;
• there are approximately 200,000 foreigners from Ukraine, out of which 72,000 arrived in the last 2 years;
• currently, approximately 60% of the persons who have received a permanent residence permit in Poland are men.
We invite you to address to our team of immigration lawyers in Poland for more information on the visa application process as an American citizen relocating here. We can also assist with professional advice on the procedures applicable when requesting a short-term or a long-term residence permit.
