6 signs of Immigration SCAM in Poland. Be careful of fake documents!
1. What is Immigration SCAM? Immigration SCAM on the Internet is a serious criminal offense. Did you know that not only distributors and creators of forged documents are subject to criminal penalties? Few people know, but those who use and present false documents or false information about themselves to customs, border control, any immigration authorities or just the police can also be charged with a crime and are the subject to any criminal penalties. What is more, it is quite difficult even for professional experienced attorneys to prove your innocence in Court in case you are just a victim of immigration SCAM. Unfortunately, many immigrants are too easy targets for scammers. Now we are talking about immigrants who do not understand the immigration process and the requirements of Poland for immigrants, and also do not speak Polish or at least English. Moreover, people who are not familiar with the bureaucratic processes of obtaining Polish documents and want to get a guarantee of 100% result in the shortest possible time. Currently, the immigration SCAM in Poland targets immigrants at all stages of the immigration process. For example, you may be offered a visa to Poland, then a work permit and a residence permit in Poland. However, you will receive fake documents and you can understand it already when your documents are checked by state authorities. Therefore, we invite you to familiarize yourself with the main features of an immigration scam and advice from our attorney below. 2. 6 signs of Immigration SCAM 1 SIGN – The Website does not display a padlock in the address bar A padlock icon in the address bar of your screen proves the security of its visitors. Just check the upper left-hand corner of your screen with the website. Only secure websites have a padlock icon together with the SSL certificate there. Also, secure websites start with HTTPS, not HTTP one. It is important to mention that even if the website appears secure, be cautious and check other features of immigration SCAM on the Internet. Be careful with insecure websites, as these people do not want to show their personal information. What is more, any personal, financial and sensitive information that you enter on such websites can be stolen. 2 SIGN – The URL of the website is totally different from the name of the company If you see the logo and the name of the company is “Nowak&Macijew Partners” but the URL of the website is www.immigration-specialist-pl.com it looks like a not reputable law firm or immigration agency. It is possible that this website is fake. 3 SIGN – “Guaranteed” polish documents in the shortest possible time It is understandable that each immigrant expects a guarantee and short waiting period when paying for legal help in the process of immigration and/or obtaining polish documents. However, it is impossible to predict the final decision of the Embassy of Poland, the Immigration Office and any other public authority. Unfortunately, the decision does not depend only on the quality of the work of a lawyer/immigration specialist. It also depends on the effectiveness of cooperation between lawyer/immigration specialist and immigrant, individual situation and personal history of immigrant, supporting documents of immigrant and so on. That’s why be careful if you see emails, phone calls or websites offering you a “guaranteed” polish documents (e.g. polish visa, residence permit, work permit, etc.), special immigration offers that are too good to be true, a better paying job, faster processing of your application. It can be an immigration SCAM. 4 SIGN – The offer of TRC in Poland without need to come to Poland and personal application The process of obtaining TRC in Poland is quite long and difficult. In order to get TRC in Poland you have to meet certain requirements of the Immigration Office. For example, you have to be in Poland legally and have justification for your stay in Poland for more than 90 days. What is more, you have to apply for TRC in the Immigration Office personally by submitting the whole package of required documents, your fingerprints and passport. The same situation with obtaining a temporary residence card that is already ready. You can take it from the Immigration only personally. NO ONE can apply for TRC or take your TRC card from the Immigration office WITHOUT YOUR PERSONAL PRESENCE. 5 SIGN – Payment requests to personal bank accounts + Requests not to indicate the purpose of the bank transfer A reputable immigration law firm or agency will never ask you to make payment for legal services to a personal bank account of someone. What is more, they will never ask you to make a bank transfer without indication of the purpose of payment. In Poland reputable companies ask clients, for example: to make bank transfer to the bank account of their company with the title of purchased services; to make payment through official secure payment systems, like DotPay.pl; to make bank transfer on the basis of official Invoice Pro that was issued specially for you with your personal data and so on. For example, our law firm “Legal Immigration Poland” most often uses the official payment system DotPay.pl in order to offer clients an easy and secure way of payment for our legal services. 6 SIGN – Poor website content “Poor website content” doesn’t mean only grammatical and orthographic mistakes in the content. It also means that there are no NIP and REGON identification numbers of the company, Privacy Policy, Terms of Service, etc. 3. Consequences of Immigration SCAM Most immigrants are sure that if you are just a victim of immigration fraud and you didn’t know that you used a fake document, then the only problem is wasted money that you voluntarily sent to scammers. However, the situation is completely different as it also causes serious immigration consequences. As we have already mentioned in the beginning of this article, “those who use and present false documents or false information about themselves to customs,
Jail in Dubai because of a fake Polish TRC. Our client, the victim of immigration SCAM, is successfully acquitted in Dubai.
1. Immigration SCAM in Poland. Be careful of fake documents in Poland! Immigration laws, requirements for foreigners, and bureaucratic processes are complex and time-consuming. Therefore, at some point every immigrant is faced with a difficult decision. Do the process of legalization of your stay and activity in Poland on your own or seek help from an immigration agency? The market of immigration agencies in Poland is quite saturated, so every immigrant who wants to move to Poland can choose an agency that meets all criteria. However, along with the number of bona fide law firms and immigration agencies, the number of immigration scams is also growing. Unfortunately, in most cases immigrants tend to choose agencies that guarantee a 100% result in obtaining Polish documents (TRC in Poland, work permit, visas and etc.) in the shortest possible time without unnecessary difficulties and bureaucratic processes. It’s pity but such a decision can become a point of no return in the process of your immigration to Poland, and perhaps an obstacle in visiting the whole EU in the future. You should always remember that the wrong legal advice and actions can have long-term consequences. We hope that this article will help immigrants avoid such problems and wrong decisions in the future. Therefore, we invite you to read below the story of our client, who paid the employer for the help with obtaining a Temporary Residence Permit in Poland and became the Victim of immigration fraud on the Internet. Through the website of driving school in Poland he was given an offer to be hired as a driver in a driving school and obtain temporary residence in the Republic of Poland, based on a temporary residence card with a work permit. As the result of this immigration SCAM, the client ended up in a prison in Dubai due to a fake residence permit. 2. Our client, the victim of immigration SCAM, was successfully acquitted in Dubai thanks to our attorney Patryk Przeździecki. Ibrahim (the name was changed), a happy owner of a residence permit in Poland for a period of 3 years, which was provided to him by his employer for an additional fee, decided to visit his family in Iraq during his vacation at work. He did not know then that he would not be able to return to the EU as quickly and easily as he had planned. Ibrahim was returning to Poland via Dubai, where the airport border guard detained him and accused him of having an invalid Polish residence permit card. When Ibrahim tried to contact his employer, who helped with obtaining this document, to clarify the situation, he and his friends were immediately blocked. It was impossible to contact this company. Until the situation was clarified, Ibrahim was detained in prison. Therefore, Ibrahim’s friends contacted our law firm “Legal Immigration Poland” to verify the authenticity of the document, as well as to get professional legal assistance from an immigration attorney and protect the interests of a friend in Dubai. After an introductory legal consultation, analysis of the documents and clarification of the situation, our attorney Patryk Preździecki confirmed doubts about the falsity of this residence card. This document was 100% forged. What’s more, the firm’s data and the process of their interaction with clients turned out to be a typical immigration scam on the Internet. Soon, a confirmation report also came from Dubai that the card was fake. Therefore, Ibrahim spent several months in a Dubai prison, waiting for the proceeding and their decision. Moreover, he was deprived of his passport, and every day of waiting for a final decision increased the fine for staying in the UAE on the basis of an expired visa. Effectively responding to every request from the Dubai authorities, our immigration attorney Patryk Przeździecki successfully handled the process of defending Ibrahim’s interests before the UAE government, as well as releasing Ibrahim from any legal liability for using a fake Residence Card document both in the UAE and in Poland. After all, he was deceived and was only the victim of immigration scammers. As the result, the Iraqi citizen was successfully acquitted in Dubai! Also, thanks to the help of the attorney, Ibrahim will be able to travel safely to the EU. The Prokuratura Rejonowa Warszawa Srodmiescie w Warszawie (Prosecutor’s Office for the Central District of Warsaw) was also notified in connection with this immigration fraud. Thanks to the statement of our attorney, a criminal case was officially initiated on the creation, issuance, sale and use of fake documents. Now we can be sure that scammers will be found and punished to the fullest extent of the law. 3. What should you do if you are already a Victim of Immigration SCAM in Poland? Who can help you? If you are also a victim of immigration fraud and are accused of using fake documents, then protect your rights and interests, prove your innocence. Do not forget that this is especially important for foreign citizens who are planning their future in the EU countries, as a criminal record for using fake documents can permanently block your ability to travel and live in the EU. Also, it should be noted that if you need legal assistance and protection of your interests in case of using fake documents, then contact only licensed attorneys. Anyone can check the licenses of an attorney in Poland simply by using the open database of polish attorneys “National Register of Attorneys and Attorney Trainees”. Remember that only licensed attorneys can officially represent you in immigration matters and help you in this situation. Also, you can always contact “Legal Immigration Poland” law firm for any kind of legal assistance in immigration and fraud matters. Our attorney Patryk Przeździecki (license WAW/Adw/5098) knows how to deal with each client’s individual situation and has extensive experience in dealing with accusations in immigration fraud and the use of fake documents. We invite you to find out more about our “Verify TRC in Poland” express legal consultation
5 Steps of Work Immigration to Poland
5 Steps of Work Immigration to Poland Every year work emigration to Poland becomes more and more popular among the citizens of Armenia, Belarus, Moldova, Russia and Ukraine due to law requirements for work immigrants from these countries. However, last year the number of foreigners from South Asia and Middle East that want to work and live in Poland has also increased. Citizens of these countries successfully cope with all the strict requirements of the state authorities of Poland and get not only the opportunity to work in Poland, but also the opportunity to change the life of their family for the better. After all, every foreigner who officially works and complies with all the rules for legalization of his/her stay and activities in Poland can contribute to the immigration of his family to Poland. 1. Is it worth to immigrate to Poland for work now if the market of foreign workers continues to grow? YES, it is worth to immigrate to Poland for work in 2022! In recent years, Poland has been developing very actively in the fields of construction, investment, innovation and so on, what attracts not only immigrants, but also international corporations along with large investments. As a result, the demand for workers on the Polish labor market also grows each month. In particular, the highest demand for workers is in the fields of agriculture, construction, tourism, services, etc. However, graduates with university diplomas, work experience and knowledge of foreign languages are also welcome by Polish and international corporations. If you really want to change your life for the better and build a better future for yourself and your family, then you should fulfill your dream and start the process of immigration to Poland on the basis of work 2. How to immigrate to Poland on the basis of work? What are the first steps? Every foreign citizen who comes to Poland for work or for long-term residence is obliged to legalize not only his stay, but also his activity on the territory of Poland. However, it is not just about strict requirements and long meaningless bureaucratic processes of the Polish government, legal stay in Poland allows you to plan your future in a new country and get all the possible benefits on the equal rights with Polish citizens. Below we suggest you familiarize yourself with 5 steps that should be taken for successful immigration to Poland on the basis of work. STEP 1 – Searching for job in Poland There are a lot of opportunities for searching for a job in Poland. You can search for a job by yourself or with the help of a work or immigration agency in Poland. However, please, be informed that you have to be careful during your immigration to Poland process as there is a huge number of immigration and work SCAMs in Poland nowadays. Check all official information about the agency, law firm and/or your employer when applying for a job and paying fees for the help with searching for job, work visas, work permits, TRC in Poland and so on. Work and/or immigration agencies that help foreigners with searching for real official job in Poland. LinkedIn – a world-famous social network for business communication and searching for job offers/employees. This social network can be used for both passive and active job search. In addition, this social network can be used as a channel for finding work abroad, since very often large international corporations have job offers there. What is more, a lot of firms themselves are looking for suitable employees there. Pracuj.pl and Praca.pl are Poland’s most popular job search services with useful employment information and tax calculators. Gumtree.pl and OLX.pl are popular free ad services where you can find part-time jobs and internships in hospitality, service, reception, call centers, manufacturing, gastronomy and so on. Absolvent.pl is a website that is suitable for students and university graduates. They offer useful information about job searches and internships, as well as arrange job exhibitions every 6 months. STEP 2 – Obtaining a work permit in Poland When you already have a job and work contact in Poland, you can start the process of obtaining a required work permit in Poland. Usually employers make it by themselves, but not always. Sometimes they need the help of law firms in this process, too. If you are a citizen of a country outside the European Union (EU), the European Economic Area (EEA) or Switzerland then you may legally work in Poland only on the basis of 1 of the following work permits: Work permit in Poland According to the Regulation of the Minister of Labour and Social Policy there are 5 types of work permits that can be issued for foreigners in the territory of the Republic of Poland: A, B, C, D, E. Seasonal work permit (Type S) Declaration on entrusting work to a foreigner entered in the declaration register Certificate of entering the application for a seasonal work permit in the register of applications. Please, take into account that the required type of work permit in Poland depends on your individual situation. For example, it depends on your citizenship, type and period of work contract, employer, job position and etc. STEP 3 – Obtaining a national type “D” work visa to Poland Based on obtained work permit, invitation from the employer and work contract you can apply for national type “D” work visa to Poland at the Embassy of Poland in your home country. If you correctly prepared the whole package of required documents, you get your visa to Poland in 14 days. STEP 4 – Your arrival to Poland STEP 5 – Obtaining work TRC in Poland As soon as you legally come to Poland with all documents listed above, you can apply for Temporary Residence Permit in Poland based
Stay of UK citizens in Poland in 2021 – the end of the transition period
The end of the transition period for UK citizens in Poland – 31st December 2021 Are you a UK national that is living, working, studying or doing business in Poland? Do not forget to renew you residence permit in Poland before the end of the transition period! Take in mind that according to Brexit the transition period will end on the 31st December 2021. WHAT DOES “THE END OF TRANSITION PERIOD” MEAN? The end of transition period means that all British citizens who reside on the basis of a residence card and wish to remain in Poland legally with the previous rights for entry and stay in Poland after the end of the transition period are required to apply to the Voivodeship Office personally to renew their residence cards from 1 January 2021 to 31 December 2021. Also, it is important to mention that residence permits in Poland issued to citizens of the United Kingdom and their family members are still valid for the period for which they were issued, BUT no longer than until 31 December 2021 – until the end of the transition period. WHY DO I NEED TO RENEW MY RESIDENCE PERMIT IN POLAND? Renewed polish documents will confirm the use of rights of the beneficiary of the Withdrawal Agreement when crossing the borders and during the stay in Poland. It means that for British citizens who have not updated their Polish documents, in other words, citizens who are not beneficiaries of the Withdrawal Agreement, the general rules of entry and stay in Poland for third-country nationals will be applied. However, take into account that not all UK citizens can renew their polish residence cards and get these rights. There are several rules that you have to fulfil. For example, continuous of your stay in Poland is one of the most important conditions for renewing your residence permit and acquisition of rights of the beneficiary of the Withdrawal Agreement. WHAT IF I’M NOT SURE IN MY ABILITY TO RENEW MY DOCUMENTS? If you are not sure of your ability to renew your residence card in Poland, or if you are not sure whether your situation fulfils certain conditions of the Government, then you can always contact us for legal assistance. Our experienced Polish immigration lawyer Patryk Przeździecki will analyze your case in detail together with all the documents you have and based on this analysis he will advise you and tell you what risks and opportunities you have, how it is better to proceed further in your case in order to renew your residence card in Poland in the shortest possible time before the deadline and comply with all Polish laws regarding the legalization of the stay and activity of foreigners as well as with Brexit regulations.