Act on Amending the Act on Assistance to Ukrainian Citizens
On June 7, the President of the Republic of Poland, Andrzej Duda, approved an amendment to the law concerning support for Ukrainian citizens. Most provisions of the new law will come into effect on July 1, 2024.
Extension of Legal Stay
According to the previous regulations, the extended stay of war refugees was possible only until June 30, 2024 (in certain cases longer). The amendment extends this period until September 30, 2025.
The changes in the act also concern the extension of the validity of national visas, residence permits, the deadlines for Ukrainians to leave Poland, and their voluntary return deadlines. Documents such as “tolerated stay permit,” residence cards, Polish identity documents for foreigners, and the validity of Schengen visas will also be subject to extension.
Notification of Employment of Ukrainian Citizens
Another change concerns the simplified procedure for employing Ukrainian citizens. The amendment extends the possibility of their employment based on a notification of entrusting work. An important change is also the modification of Article 22 of the special law. Previously, the deadline for sending the notification was 14 days from the moment the Ukrainian citizen started work. After the amendment comes into effect, the time to notify the county labor office will be shortened to 7 days.
New Solutions
Persons with UKR status will have the opportunity to switch from temporary protection to temporary residence. Foreigners who meet the following conditions will be able to take advantage of this option:
had UKR status on March 4, 2024,
have UKR status on the day of applying for a residence card.
Persons using this solution will receive a residence card with the annotation “Formerly holder of temporary protection.”
Another change concerns the deadline for applying for a PESEL number. Currently, according to the regulations, a Ukrainian citizen arriving in Poland must submit an application within 30 days of crossing the border. After the new special law comes into effect, this obligation should be fulfilled immediately upon arrival. After the changes, when applying for a PESEL number, a Ukrainian citizen will be able to confirm their identity with only a valid travel document. If the PESEL number was issued based on another document, the Ukrainian citizen will have 60 days from the date of issuing the travel document to confirm their identity at any municipal office.
The amendment introduces a new obligation for Ukrainian citizens. According to the new regulations, they must inform their employer about receiving a decision on granting a temporary residence and work permit. This is beneficial for the employer, who has the obligation to notify the relevant authorities about employing a Ukrainian citizen with such a permit. After the changes, the deadline for sending the notification will start from the day the employer is informed by the foreigner about receiving the decision.
