Poland is planning to introduce additional requirements for Ukrainian applicants who wish to study at post-secondary vocational schools (szkoły policealne). A bill is currently being considered in the Sejm that would tighten visa control, including in the field of education. The changes were prompted by the so-called "visa scandal" — a corruption scheme involving the issuance of Polish visas that facilitated the illegal entry of foreigners into the country. The authorities are seeking to close all possible loopholes that could be exploited in the issuance of study visas.
Initially, the new regulations concerned university students, but they were subsequently extended to post-secondary vocational schools as well. Under the provisions of the bill, only those foreigners who can demonstrate Polish language proficiency at a minimum B1 level will be eligible to study at such institutions. This change will affect Ukrainian students above all, as they form the largest group of foreign nationals in Polish post-secondary vocational schools.
If the bill is passed, applicants will be required to submit not only the standard documents (an application form and a secondary school diploma), but also a language certificate. Currently, no such requirement exists, and many post-secondary schools independently organise Polish language courses for foreign students to help them adapt to their studies.
Post-secondary vocational schools offer training in professions that are in demand on the Polish labour market, including massage therapist, caregiver, florist, postal worker, and others. Many Ukrainians choose this educational path because the cost of study is lower than at universities, while the employment opportunities are quite broad.
According to official data, as of October 2024, more than 44,000 Ukrainian citizens were enrolled in Polish post-secondary vocational schools, of whom over 11,000 had arrived after the start of the full-scale war. As a result, the tightening of requirements may affect Ukrainians' access to this type of education and, consequently, impact the Polish labour market.
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Under the bill being considered in the Sejm, only foreigners who can demonstrate Polish language proficiency at a minimum B1 level would be eligible to study at post-secondary vocational schools (szkoły policealne). Ukrainians would be affected most, as they are the largest group of foreign students there.
The changes were prompted by the so-called "visa scandal," a corruption scheme involving the issuance of Polish visas that facilitated illegal entry of foreigners into the country. The authorities want to close all possible loopholes that could be exploited in the issuance of study visas.
Applicants would have to submit the standard documents, which are an application form and a secondary school diploma, plus a language certificate. Currently there is no language certificate requirement, and many schools organise Polish courses for foreign students to help them adapt.
According to official data, as of October 2024, more than 44,000 Ukrainian citizens were enrolled in Polish post-secondary vocational schools. Of them, over 11,000 had arrived after the start of the full-scale war.
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