Poland has decided to suspend the Business Habor Programme that was created with the aim of attracting foreign IT specialists to the country.
As the authorities have revealed, the programme has been suspended following visa concerns, with the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs saying that visas were not issued in a controlled manner.
There have been several issues raised about the programme in the last year. However, since the situation needed to be fully assessed, the decision to suspend the programme has been taken just now.
Announcing the news of the ending of the programme, the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that the country’s Business Harbor Programme did not live up to its expectations.
The same stressed that the number of visas issued under the programme was not consistent with the objectives as well as the market needs, suggesting that there were irregularities in the process.
Business Harbor did not live up to expectations. In the public space, the following issues were raised, among others: reservations regarding the use of visas issued under the Program for purposes inconsistent with its objectives.
The Ministry further highlighted that the programme will remain suspended until the country finds solutions to verify the individuals and companies that are benefiting from it.
Poland’s Business Programme was launched in September 2020 to attract IT specialists and companies from Belarus. The programme was later on expanded to include specialists and companies from other countries, too, such as Georgia, Russia, Ukraine, Moldova, and Armenia.
Through this programme, IT specialists and companies were able to undergo a faster migration path. This means that those eligible were able to move and work in Poland without having to undergo strict rules and regulations.
Taking into account the advantages the programme offered, a high number of nationals from the eligible countries applied for a work visa to reach Poland. Data show that by September of last year, Poland had issued more than 93,500 visas under the programme, with the majority of beneficiaries being from Belarus.
Not long after, the numbers decreased as the Polish government was criticised over allegations of having issued hundreds of visas in exchange for bribes. The country allegedly issued around 250,000 work visas to foreign nationals in exchange for money.
Following the scandal, the number of work visas issued to foreigners dropped from 15,100 in the first half of 2023 to 6,500 in the second half of the same year.
Now that the programme has been suspended, foreign IT specialists wishing to enter Poland for work purposes will have to undergo the general visa procedures. Regarding the other industries dealing with shortages, the authorities said that they will continue working towards facilitating the visa procedures for them.
