Almost 99,000 job vacancies in Poland, but permits for foreigners are delayed

The Polish labor market has recorded 99,000 job vacancies; however, foreigners from non-EU countries find it difficult to obtain work permits quickly. There is a significant shortage of drivers, logisticians, nurses, and order processing workers. Among the in-demand fields are professions that are easier to find work in Poland. This is reported by InPoland.

There is a shortage of workers in Poland, but permits have decreased

According to the Polish Statistics Office GUS, the number of job vacancies reached 99,000 at the end of the second quarter. At the same time, last year the government reduced the number of work permits for citizens from non-EU countries by 22%.

In addition to Ukrainians and Belarusians, an increasing number of people from South America, Asia, and Africa are seeking work in Poland. The geographic expansion of hiring is occurring against a backdrop of staff shortages in sectors where employers struggle to fill vacancies. This trend is also reflected in materials about how workers from Asia and Latin America are increasingly appearing in the Polish market.

Permits may take months to wait for

Business representatives have called on the government to expedite the processing of documents for foreigners in professions with a critical shortage of staff. The initiative was considered, but in May the Ministry of Labor withdrew the project after negative public reaction.

The digitization of applications was supposed to simplify the procedure; however, in practice, changes to the rules have complicated it. The Deputy Director of the Labor Department of the Leviathan Confederation, Nadia Vinyarska, noted that the formal processing time is 30 days, but employers sometimes wait six months or longer.

«The current policy is not adapted to the situation in the labor market and the labor shortage, which will continue to deepen», — concluded Vinyarska.

For employers, this means longer vacancy closures, and for foreign candidates—uncertainty regarding the start of work. Poland has already reduced the issuance of work permits for foreigners, so the speed and rules of processing remain an important part of immigration policy.