Information from the Staroste

WHAT IS INFORMATION FROM THE STAROSTE?

As part of procedures aimed at legalizing foreigners work on the territory of Republic of Poland (especially in order to obtain work permit, temporary stay and work permit or register of declaration on entrusting performance of work to the foreigner) it is often required to submit information from the staroste competent for the main place of performance of work by the foreigner on the lack of possibility to satisfy the employer’s personnel needs on the basis of registers of unemployed and job-seekers or of the negative result of recruitment organized for the employer. Such information is being prepared having regard to the priority of labour market access enjoyed by Polish citizens and the foreigners who have the status of refugee. It is colloquially referred to as staroste information(informacja starosty) or labour market test (test rynku pracy).

The requirement of obtaining information from the staroste about local labour market test is a manifestation of Poland’s social politics regarding employment of nationals, through guarantee of priority of getting employment on the territory of Poland to the nationals before citizens of other countries. In practice it is an additional requirement essential for obtaining permits needed to employ the foreigner.

HOW TO OBTAIN INFORMATION FROM THE STAROSTE AND WHAT IS LABOUR MARKET TEST?

Information from the staroste can be obtained through submitting a job offer in poviat employment office, in which future employer indicates the requirements at the job position he is recruiting for. On that basis the staroste will verify if there is anyone on the register of unemployed who will meet given requirements able to fulfil the employer’s personnel needs.

In addition, the staroste will check if the requirements and the remuneration indicated in the job offer are adequate to the job position for which the employee is needed.

The employment of foreigner will be inadmissible if there is a Polish national present on the register of the unemployed who meets the employer’s requirements.

What’s important, the information from staroste has to be issued no earlier than 180 days before submitting the application for work permit or seasonal work permit, and in justified cases not earlier than 90 days before submitting the application.

WHEN ISN’T THE INFORMATION FROM STAROSTE NEEDED?

However, staroste information isn’t necessary in every case. Conducting the labour market test won’t be needed in cases listed in the attachment to the Minister of Labour and Social Policy regulation and in regulations issued by competent voivode regarding shortage occupations, and also in cases excluded under the Employment Promotion and Labour Market Institutions Act. That includes, among others:

• doctors,
• nurses,
• programmers,
• data base designers,
• senior caregivers.
• bricklayers,
• painters,
• bus drivers,
• locksmiths,
• foreigners having Poland. Business Harbour visa
• employers entitled to represent the foreigner entrepreneur in their branch or representative office seated in Poland,
• foreigners, living in Poland for at least three years continuously before submitting an application,
• citizens of Armenia, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova or Ukraine, who directly before submitting an application for work permit were employed for at least 3 months by the same employer and at the same position – in accordance with declaration on entrusting performance of work to the foreigner entered to the registry of declarations – as long as the mentioned declaration, employment contract and documents confirming paying social insurance premiums will be submitted.

Based on above, it seems like multitude of circumstances in which the information will not be needed require extensive experience and most up-to-date knowledge of labour law and migration law to effectively optimize the process of employment of foreigners in accordance to given needs.

Legal grounds:

Foreigners Act (t.j. Dz.U. tłum. gb z 2021 r. poz. 2354);

Employment Promotion and Labour Market Institutions Act (t.j. Dz.U. tłum. gb z 2022 r. poz. 690);

Rozporządzenie Ministra Pracy i Polityki Społecznej w sprawie przypadków, w których powierzenie wykonywania pracy cudzoziemcowi na terytorium Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej jest dopuszczalne bez konieczności uzyskania zezwolenia na pracę z dnia 30 listopada 2021 r. (t.j. Dz.U. z 2021 r. poz. 2291);

Rozporządzenie Ministra Rodziny, Pracy i Polityki Społecznej w sprawie wydawania zezwolenia na pracę cudzoziemca oraz wpisu oświadczenia o powierzeniu wykonywania pracy cudzoziemcowi do ewidencji oświadczeń (Dz.U. z 2017 r. poz. 2345);

Rozporządzenie Ministra Pracy i Polityki Społecznej w sprawie określenia przypadków, w których zezwolenie na pracę cudzoziemca jest wydawane bez względu na szczegółowe warunki wydawania zezwoleń na pracę cudzoziemców (t.j. Dz.U. z 2019 r. poz. 154).

Legal status as of February 16th, 2023.

Our law office provides services in the field of consulting and legal aid, in the field of stay and work of foreigners on the territory of Poland. Please contact us to get more information.