If you are working in Poland and you have a legal residence permit, but you want to change your job and are worried about your legal status and also worried about what to do in this case, then don’t worry; we will guide you through everything that you need to know if you change your job in Poland and what process you have to follow. Let’s start with the topic.
There are different scenarios we will discuss with you regarding this matter because, the thing is, not everyone is going through the same situation.
Scenario No. 1: If you change your job and have a valid TRC
If you are included in those who just have a job but want to change the job or want to move from one company to another, then in such cases you have to inform the immigration office and apply for a new or change of your TRC.
Author recommendation for you: if you are doing professional jobs and you find some better opportunity in another company that offers you a better salary and position, then your company will process your case. That means your company legal representative will prepare your application and complete the tax-related documents, but still, you have to inform the immigration office regarding the change of your job within two weeks of time.
Scenario No 2: If you change your job and your Polish TRC is in the process
Suppose you are doing a job for one company, and at the same time, you have applied for a residency card based on this ABC company. Let’s say you don’t have a residence card right now, and your case is in process. What if you change your job while your application is still in process?
Well. You would not have any problem in this case either, because if you change your job during the application process, you will have to inform the immigration office and submit the same documents from new employers, or from this new job that you get, the immigration office will process your case.
Author recommendation for you
Although this will not be a problem if you change your job during your application process, we recommend you continue your job if your application is already in process, especially if you see it is the last stage where your decision is signed or expected to be signed soon. As you know about your decision date through InPOL. The reason is if, during the application process, you change the job and then, of course, you need all the new documents and submit these new documents in the immigration office, which will take your additional time. If you have a penalty of time and you are not expected to travel in the near future, then you can change jobs and submit all new documents.
Scenario no. 3: You graduate from a Polish university and have a valid TRC.
If you already graduated from a Polish university or you are a student, TRC is still valid, and you found a job, then you don’t need to apply for a work permit first and then start work. In Poland, if you graduated from a Polish university, then you are permitted to find and start a job without having an advance work permit. This only applies to Polish university students and only those who finish their degree.
Author advice to you
We advise you to consult with your company and ask them to start your TRC process without wasting your time. If your company says you have to start your visa process by yourself and we only give you the documents that you need, then you have to get a job contract and all other supporting documents, e.g., ZUS, insurance, make a payment, etc., and start by yourself. If you don’t know how to get an appointment, then we suggest you go through our blog, which covers this topic, e.g., an appointment at Polish immigration.
Scenario No. 4: You graduate from Polish University, but you don’t have a valid TRC
In Poland, especially when you study in Warsaw, you may face a situation where you applied for your second TRC and, due to any issue, you get your residence card late or your application is in process but you complete your degree. In the meantime, while you find a job, what do you do?
If you complete your degree in Poland and don’t have TRC at the moment and your application is in the process, then still it’s not a problem for you. Students are automatically allowed to find and get a job without applying for additional work permit.
Author suggestion for you
In this situation, we suggest you tell the company to apply for your new TRC rather than waiting for student TRC because sooner or later you have to apply for changing your residence card even if you get your student-based TRC. The reason is your status has changed now, so it’s better to get TRC based on work rather than student-based TRC. Another point is that your student TRC period will count differently when you apply for PR based on your work. If you want to read in detail about work-based PR, then we suggest you go through this blog on EU long-term residence based on work.
Scenario No. 5: You change the job and you have a spouse visa
If you have a spouse visa and you are doing a professional job, then you don’t need to apply for a new work permit because the spouse visa holder can change jobs at any time and go for another job without applying for any new work permit or permission to work.
What if my spouse’s visa is expired and I want to change jobs or start a new job?
This is a very common question that needs an answer. If you had a spouse visa and your visa is expired and your application is in process for a new TRC, during this time you find a job or change a job. In both cases, you don’t need to worry about it because you don’t need a separate permit for a job in Poland. Even though your current TRC is expired, your case is in the process.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a student in Poland change their job without a new permit request?
If you are a student and doing your study and your student TRC is valid and you are already doing a job as well, in that condition, if you change the job, then it does not affect you because students and graduates don’t need work permits even if they change jobs.
What happens if I don’t inform immigration about changing or losing a job?
If you don’t inform the immigration office regarding changing or losing your current job within 15 days, you may face some consequences that are not good for you.
Share our experience with you
According to our experiences here in Warsaw with some colleagues who changed jobs but did not inform the immigration regarding this and later on filed a new application based on another job and completed all the process and submitted ZUS, etc., but got negative decisions due to just not informing the Wojewoda regarding this losing or changing the job. So we suggest you inform the Wojewoda without delaying even one day.
How much time do you have to apply for a new card or change the card?
You have one month or 30 days to apply for a new card or apply to change a card based on your new job or due to changing from one job to another.
If my decision is signed and I want to change my job, then what is best?
If your decision is signed and you get a new job opportunity that you think is better, then you can change your jobs if you see the decision is signed because there is no restriction to changing the job or moving to another job even if your decision is signed. The immigration office only cares about your documents, e.g., proper tax or ZUS payment, and you follow to proceed, etc., but of course, you apply for a change in the decision after your new company provides your work permit and all other documents that you submit at the office with your request to change the decision.
What should I do first when changing a job in Poland?
The first and most important thing you have to do is inform the immigration office that you are changing jobs or getting a new job because the immigration office is more concerned about this. It is your responsibility to inform the Wojewoda; otherwise, you may face consequences.
Can I file an appeal after I get rejected due to changing jobs in Poland?
If you get rejection from the immigration office due to any reason, either the reason is legal or due to any issue with the documents, you can file an appeal in 14 days of time. Read how to file an appeal in Poland.
Disclaimer: The blog is for informational purposes, and the information we provide here is based on our experience and knowledge and might not be error-free. For exact information, we suggest you check the official source.
If you have any questions regarding this matter, then write your comments below. We would like to answer you and continue our support and guidelines for your community.
