Beginning May 1, 2025, Poland is introducing stricter rules on how foreign workers can be employed, especially for companies that post employees from abroad. These changes will affect businesses using cross-border staffing and are aimed at tightening eligibility and preventing misuse.
Key updates include:
Stricter Intra-Company Transfer Rules:
Employees will no longer be eligible for work permits in Poland if their original employer is only a sister company to the Polish host company (i.e., linked solely by a common owner). To qualify, there must be a direct relationship—such as parent-subsidiary status—or shared board members between the two companies.Limits on Service-Based Assignments:
Workers can no longer be posted to Poland to perform services under a contract held by the Polish company. Instead, the work permit will only be granted if the home-country employer holds the contract and is sending the worker to fulfill it in Poland.Ban on “Letterbox Companies”:
Companies that don’t operate real business activities in their home countries will be treated as “letterbox companies” and won’t be allowed to sponsor work permits for Poland.Employment Duration Requirement:
Workers must already be employed by the sending company before they are posted. Companies can’t hire someone solely for the purpose of transferring them to Poland.More Documentation Needed:
Work permit applications must include evidence showing that the posted worker will comply with Polish labor standards and be fairly compensated.
These changes will apply to all work permit applications filed on or after May 1, 2025. Companies planning to send workers to Poland are advised to apply before that date, especially if they may struggle to meet the new standards.
To support these efforts, the UK government has announced a £30 million fund to tackle global trafficking routes, along with an additional £3 million to help the Crown Prosecution Service target smuggling networks. The summit also highlighted the role of social media companies like Meta and TikTok in preventing the online promotion of illegal immigration activities.
Prime Minister Starmer emphasized that people-smuggling gangs should be treated with the same level of seriousness as terrorist organizations, noting the significant threats posed by these groups. The summit is part of the UK’s broader strategy to prevent criminal organizations from exploiting migration systems.
In essence, the UK is leading a global effort to address illegal immigration and the smuggling of people by bringing together countries and organizations to share resources, intelligence, and take stronger action against these criminal networks.
