In response to the recent visa scandal, Poland is planning to tighten the rules for issuing work and student visas to nationals of third countries. Earlier this week, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Henryka Mościcka-Dendys and Deputy Minister of Interior and Administration Maciej Duszczyk presented findings from the “White Book” aimed at addressing irregularities in the visa issuance process.

The document they presented proposed both systematic and legislative solutions, primarily targeting work and student visas, to regain control over Poland’s visa system. Polish authorities noted that the country has faced migration pressure since 2015, which intensified as employers increasingly demanded workers from non-EU countries.

Due to irregularities in Poland's visa system, there was a widespread belief that obtaining a Polish visa was easy and inexpensive. Additionally, non-EU students often came to Poland ostensibly to study but intended to enter and remain in the Schengen Area illegally. This situation led to a significant number of foreigners acquiring Polish visas without being registered within the country, prompting the authorities to take immediate action.

The Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs has announced that the process of tightening the Polish visa system has already begun. One of the measures aims to reduce the workload on Polish consulates by requiring foreigners already in Poland to undergo "legalisation procedures" to obtain a residence permit, rather than reapplying for visas. Additionally, Poland plans to tighten verification rules to ensure employers are providing appropriate work conditions and to revise sanctions for those hiring individuals without proper documentation.

Regarding foreign students, the Ministry emphasized that the country will introduce a mandatory pre-selection process, which all universities will be required to implement. Another significant change under consideration is limiting foreign students' access to the Polish labor market. Moreover, Poland intends to increase the minimum funds requirement for students applying for visas or residence permits, mandating that students have a minimum amount of required funds blocked.

Citing irregularities in the system, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that visas for workers and students will now be issued in a controlled manner. The Ministry emphasized the urgent need for changes to the system, noting the consistent increase in the number of foreigners migrating to the country over the past six years. Additionally, the decision to tighten visa rules for foreign students follows the discovery of a high dropout rate among students after their first year of university.

This indicates that foreign students apply for a Polish visa primarily to enter the Schengen Area, then opt to stay irregularly in the country or migrate to another member state.