Poland Immigration

Poland Visa

Poland is a member state of the European Union and as such, the country permits foreign nationals from EU member states to visit the country for a period of up to 90 days duration without the need to apply for a visa.

Poland also extends this courtesy to a group of other nations, allowing them to enter Poland for 90 days without making a visa application.

Poland also participates actively in the Schengen visa agreement which facilitates the free and unhindered movement of holders of Schengen visas throughout the twenty five countries included in the scheme.

This site  migration consultant will be able to advise you as to whether applying for a visa for Poland is necessary for nationals of your country.

Types of Visa for Poland

In Poland, visas for tourists and business visit visas are often grouped together under the collective terms 'regular visas' and 'short stay visas'. Within this, a tourist visa can often be referred to as a travel visa, a visit visa, or a visitor visa, and a business visa is often called a business visit visa.

To summarize, and avoid the potential for confusion, Polish visas for short stay excursions are issued in one of two categories, for either tourism or business.

Polish visitor visas and visas for business share the same duration and neither permits its holder to engage in employment. However, the requirements for each are slightly different and are set out below.

Polish Tourist Visa

Polish tourist visas are issued to those who wish to enter Poland either for the purposes of tourism or to visit family and friends. The duration of these short-term permits is based on the applicant's requirements and the length of time granted can vary from 1 day to several weeks or more. However, the duration will not exceed 90 days.

These permits are intended as a temporary immigration service and are issued with the obligation for the holder to return to their country of residence upon or before expiry.

Polish visit visa applications will require a range of documentation including, a travel itinerary, proof of sufficient funds and a valid passport.

Polish Business Visa

Polish business visas are designed for people requiring entry clearance for Poland in order to engage in business activities with the exception of entering employment.

Holders of this temporary visa service may attend business meetings, conferences, or seminars, however, they may not be paid during their stay in Poland.

In addition to the requirements for a Polish travel visa listed above, applications for business visit visas must also include a letter from the candidate's employer giving details of the purpose and duration of the trip.

The letter must also commit the company to financial responsibility for the applicant. An additional letter of invitation from a Polish company will also be required.

Polish Work Permits

In Poland, work permit applications for those who wish to live and work in Poland follow an employer led process, which like a UK work permit, involves a Polish employer applying on behalf of a prospective candidate.

An application for a promissory decision is submitted, which is successful, leads tto an application for a Polish work visa to the Polish consulate in the applicant's home country. Working visas for Poland are generally granted for an initial period of one year.

In Poland, work permit applications do not place specific requirements on the qualifications and experience required by applicants.

However, as a general rule, the likelihood of working permits being granted will increase for applicants with higher qualifications.

In Poland, work permits will require confirmation of a candidate's highest qualification and experience and some Polish language proficiency.

Spouse immigration and Dependent immigration

Foreign nationals in Poland on a permit for work must reside in Poland continuously for a minimum of two years before becoming eligible to sponsor family members who wish to relocate to Poland.

Where an applicant is in a relationship with an unmarried partner, it will be necessary for the partner to apply entirely in his or her own right in order to begin living and working in Poland

Processing Times and Fees

Processing times and fees are subject change and can often be affected by various factors such as the nationality of the candidate.

Applications for short stay visas can often be processed within five working days, or where the express service is used, at the discretion of the consulate, one working day, however, once again, this figure depends upon the nationality of the applicant, and for nationals of some countries the process may take two weeks or more.

Poland visa, Poland work permit visa,Poland Tourist visa,Poland Business visa,Poland Immigration

Immigration to Spain

Introduction

In 2005, Spain announced a general amnesty for illegal immigrants. By registering with the relevant authorities, formerly illegal immigrants were able to legitimize their presence in Spain.

EU nationals

Spain recently announced that it will be opening its borders for workers from all EU countries in spring 2006. Therefore, as of that date, if you are an EU national you will not need a work permit to work in Spain  you can enter the country as a tourist and register with the Spanish national employment office (Instituto Nacional de Empleo - INEM) to look for a job. You then have 90 days to find employment  you can obtain an extension after that date or leave Spain and re-enter for a further 90 days. Once you find a job, you will need your employment contract in order to apply for your residence permit.

Non-EU nationals

Residents non-EU who wish to work in Spain must obtain a work permit. They must also obtain a visa before moving to work in Spain.

Work permits must be applied for at the Foreigners' Office (Oficinas de Extranjeros) or to the provincial office of the Ministry of Labour (Delegación Provincial del Ministerio de Trabajo), if you are already in Spain. If you are not in Spain, a work permit must be applied for at the Consular office of your home country.

The provincial labour offices (Direcciones Provinciales de Trabajo, Seguridad Social y Asuntos Sociales) will decide whether the work permit will be issued or not.

How long will it take to get an employee on site with an Spanish work permit?

The supporting documentation needed is quite extensive and can take some time to collect. It must be submitted in Spanish, so translations should be taken into both time and financial budgets. Once the application has been lodged, processing takes between 3 and 6 months due to the highly bureaucratic systems designed to protect the resident labour markets.

Spain has just acknowledged the provision of service ruling by the European Court, which means that some candidates may be able to be placed on-site within a week. See the section below.

When the work permit is approved the candidate must apply for a residence visa to travel to Spain and start work.

Can my company obtain Spanish work permits?

There are two possible ways for the candidate to be employed with a work permit for the first time:

   1. As the direct employee of an Spanish company. In the first instance this would be a type b, which is for a maximum of 1 year. This may be extended and would become a type B, valid for a maximum of 2 years.
   2. As the employee of a foreign company that is providing services to an Spanish company. This foreign company may not be a recruitment agency and must produce a service contract as part of the application. In this scenario, a Spanish accountant must administer the payrolling of the candidate to ensure that all tax and social security is duly paid. This would be a type A permit and would be valid for a maximum of 9 months.

Does the candidate qualify for an Spanish work permit?

The candidate must be shown to have sufficient experience to fill the position.

If the application is for an assignment permit then the candidate should have at least 6-12 months experience with the service provider, to justify the claim that they have experience with the company's systems.

Preference is given to candidates with some demonstrable link with Spain and Latin American citizens

How do I apply for an Spanish work permit?

The application is generally lodged through the Direccion Provincial de Trabajo, seguridad Social y Asuntos Sociales (local labour office), however they may also be lodged at the office for foreigners, the Gereral directorate for Migration, or even the post office. When the application is for provision of service and the employer has no presence in Spain, the Spanish consulate will accept the application.

Once the work permit application is approved, the candidate will need to make a residence visa application in their usual country of residence. The candidate will probably need to present a police clearance certificate and an original birth certificate to be granted this visa, so it is worthwhile assembling these documents in advance.

Provision of service ruling – van der Elst

The European court made a ruling that any EEA company should be able to provide services to its EEA clients without the need to obtain additional work permits for it's employees. i.e. if a British software house sells it's product to a Spanish company and to install the product on it's client's systems needs to send some non-EEA employees who have UK work permits to the client's offices in Spain they should not need a Spanish work permit.

This ruling is being acknowledged very slowly across Europe, and was acknowledged by Spain at the end of 1999. In order to fit into this category the employee must have been employed in the EEA by the supplier for at least 12 months before being seconded.

Spanish work permit FAQs

What is the difference between a work permit and a visa?

A work permit is permission for a company to employ a foreign worker given by the labour authorities. It does not allow the candidate to travel to or reside in Spain. Once the work permit has been approved the candidate should apply for a residence visa (type D).NOTE: that a Schengen (type C) visa is NOT sufficient to take up employment with a work permit.

What is the difference between "body shopping" and providing a service?

It is not possible to obtain a work permit for a candidate who is being body shopped, but it is possible for a candidate under a contract to provide services. The key differences are:

    The sponsor may not be a recruitment agency.
    The staff remain on the payroll and line management of the service provider.
    The services are above and beyond that of just a contractor e.g. consultants assisting in the installation of a propriety product sold to a client.
    The services provided must be shown to be in the normal run of operations for the service provider.


Immigration to Spain,Spain Immigration,visa of spain

Canada : Quebec

Canada's largest province, situated in the east of the country.
The only Canadian province where French is the official language

Responsible for selecting its own immigrants, welcoming about 45 000 each year.
 

Advantages of living in Quebec

 A safe environment in north America

 A vibrant culture, the meeting point of European and American tendencies

 An affordable cost of living, proportional to the the average salary

 Good public health and education systems.

 The French-speaking society eases integration of French-speaking immigrants whilst offering a new but accessible cultural experience to other immigrants

 High standard of living

 A welcoming society with strong values centred around liberty, quality and tolerance

 Statistics

Geography:

Situated in the north-eastern area of North America, Quebec covers an area of 1 667 441 km2 roughly equivalent to the combined land mass of Spain, Portugal, France, Belgium, Switzerland and Germany. Quebec lies between the Arctic Ocean in the north, the USA and New Brunswick to the south, NewFoundland, Labrador and the Atlantic Ocean to the east and Ontario to the west. It is the largest of the Canadian provinces.

Population:

7 598 146 inhabitants, of which 3 750 120 men and 3 848 026 women

 Life expectancy at birth:

 77,2 years for men, 82,4 for women

 Average age:

 38,4 (men); 40,8 (women)

 Language:

 French (official)

Mother tongues: French (80,9%), English (7,8 %), other (10%)

 Religions:

No religion (5,6%); Roman Catholic (83%); Protestant (4,7%); Orthodox Christian (1,4%); Muslim (1,5%); Jewish (1,3%); Buddhist (0,6%); Hindu (0,3%); Sikh (0,1%)

Capital:

Québec

Administrative regions (17):

Bas Saint-Laurent; Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean; Capitale-Nationale; Mauricie; Estrie; Montréal; Outaouais; Abitibi-Témiscamingue; Côte-Nord; Nord-du-Québec; Gaspésie-Îles-de-la-Madeleine; Chaudière-Appalaches; Laval; Lanaudière; Laurentides; Montérégie; Centre-du-Québec

 Political system:

Three tiers: federal, provincial, municipal.

 GDP - per capita:

purchasing power parity - $29,400 (2002 .est)

 Unemployment rate:

8,5%



Immigration to Japan

Below is a basic introduction of the Japanese immigration system. Please contact your closest Japanese embassy or consulate to make sure that you have all the required documents before traveling to Japan.

Temporary visitors (tourists) :

If you are a citizen of one of the over 50 countries with which Japan has concluded a "general visa exemption arrangement", you need only a valid passport in order to enter Japan as a "temporary visitor", otherwise, you need to apply for a visa before coming to Japan. Temporary visitors from most countries are allowed to stay in Japan for up to 90 days.

If you are a citizens of Austria, Germany, Ireland, Liechtenstein, Mexico, Switzerland or the United Kingdom, you have the possibility to extend your stay in Japan to a total of up to six months. You still initially enter Japan for 90 days, but can then apply for an extension at an immigration office in Japan.

Temporary visitors are not allowed to engage in any paid activities. Short term studies at certain Japanese language schools are permitted.

Travelers who change airplanes or ships in Japan, may be eligible for a transit visa, which allows them to enter Japan for 72 hours to 15 days for sightseeing purposes, before proceeding to their final destination outside of Japan.

All foreign tourists in Japan are required to carry their passports with them at all times.

Working Holiday visa :

This is a special visa for young citizens of Australia, New Zealand, Canada, South Korea, France, Germany and the United Kingdom. Visit our working holiday visa page for more details.

Working visa :

Foreigner who wish to work in Japan, need to apply for an appropriate visa before coming to Japan. There are about a dozen types of working visas, each allowing the holder to engage in paid activities only within a defined professional field. For example, there are visas for artists, professors, engineers, instructors and entertainers.

If you change jobs while you are in Japan, you also need to change your status of residence, provided that the new job falls into a different professional field. Most working visas are valid for one or three years and need to be extended before they expire.

Student visa :

Foreigner who wish to study in Japan, need to apply for an appropriate visa before coming to Japan. (An exception may be short stays at Japanese language schools.) There are a few types of student visas depending on the type of studies. Holders are not allowed to engage in any paid activities.

Spouse visa

Applicants who are married to a Japanese national can apply for a spouse visa before coming to Japan. Visa holders are allowed to engage in any paid activity. A spouse visa is valid for one or three years and needs to be extended before it expires.

Permanent residence :

People who have resided in Japan for at least five consecutive years and fulfill a few more vaguely defined conditions, may be eligible to apply for permanent residence. Permanent residents do not need to worry about extending visas anymore and are allowed to engage in any paid activity.

Alien registration

All foreigners who stay in Japan for more than 90 days, need to apply for an alien registration card within the  first 90 days of their stay. Applications can be made at the local municipal office (e.g. city hall). The alien registration card is an important document required for opening a bank account and similar activities. Foreign residents are required to carry their alien registration card with them at all times.

Re-entry permit :

Workers, students and spouses, as well as permanent residents are required to apply for a re-entry permit whenever leaving Japan temporarily (for example, for holidays) in order to keep their status of residence in Japan. Without re-entry permit, a person who leaves Japan, will lose his/her status of residence. Re-entry permits can be obtained at immigration offices and some airports.

Naturalization :

People who have resided in Japan for at least five consecutive years and fulfill a range of other vaguely defined conditions, may be eligible to apply for Japanese citizenship. Japan does not allow multiple citizenship, which means that new citizens will have to give up their previous citizenship(s).

Studying in Germany,Investment and Self-Employment visas in Germany

Studying in Germany

With low tuition fees and internationally recognized Bachelor's and Master's degrees now established, Germany is an attractive place of study for foreign students. A student may stay for a maximum of nine months. Foreign students are allowed to work, however, they need to have very good language skills in German & can work for up to 90 days each year, or 180 half days. Foreign students may work in Germany for up to one year after graduating, however the job must be related to the field of study.

The process is the following: 

1)  If you plan to study in Germany, the first step is to gain admission to a German university.
2)  You must then submit an application for a student visa to the German Embassy in your home country. You must also submit verification from your university that you have been accepted.
3)  The German Embassy will then forward the visa application for an opinion to the foreigners' authority in the town of the university.
4)  The German Embassy will issue the visa for entry once the foreigners' authority has given its approval.

Investment and Self-Employment visas:

Ernst & Young asked 500 businessmen worldwide to list the most sought-after investment locations. In their survey, Germany was number one in Europe and ranked third overall, trailing only behind China and the USA.

You are eligible for this type of visa if you invest one million euro and create ten new German jobs

Some advantages:

You have the same rights as German citizens, whatever type of company you are establishing.

You do not need a German associate or guarantor.

After the business has been established for three years, you and your family may receive unlimited residence permits. These will allow you to enter Germany any time you wish.