Statement on suspending MFA participation in Poland. Business Harbour Programme
28.01.2024
Minister of Foreign Affairs Radosław Sikorski has decided to suspend the participation of the Polish MFA in the Poland. Business Harbour Programme until solutions are in place that guarantee proper verification of its beneficiary companies and foreigners.
Started in September 2020 to encourage IT professionals and companies from Belarus to work in Poland, the Programme was later extended to encompass Georgia, Russia, Ukraine, Moldova, and Armenia. As of September 2022, it included a Business Path designed for strategic sector companies from across the world. The Programme rules were defined by its operators, namely, the Chancellery of the Prime Minister, the Polish Investment and Trade Agency, and the Ministry of Economic Development and Technology.
In the view of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Poland. Business Harbour Programme has failed to produce the hoped-for outcomes. Some of the reservations voiced by public opinion concerned the misuse of visas issued under the Programme.
The foreigners looking to become employed in the IT sector in Poland can still apply for a visa on general terms and receive a work visa for Poland once they have fulfilled all the corresponding requirements. Regardless of the above, the MFA will start to wok on streamlined visa procedures for individuals from the business sector, especially in the high-demand industries of the Polish economy.