GMI Legal Update: Draft Bill Published Amending Ukrainian Special Act – Rights of Ukrainian Citizens to Stay and Work in Poland to be extended until 30 June 2024

Polish government published a draft bill amending the so-called Ukrainian Special Bill, i.e. the Act on Assistance to Citizens of Ukraine in Connection with the Armed Conflict on the Territory of this Country.

According to the draft bill, special immigration solutions for Ukrainian citizens which expire on March 4, 2024, including the right to stay in Poland on the basis of the so-called UKR status, will be extended until June 30, 2024.

The extension will cover in particular:

• right to stay in Poland for holders of the so-called UKR status, i.e. persons who came to Poland in connection with the armed conflict in Ukraine
• right to stay in Poland for Ukrainian citizens whose visas, temporary residence permits or right to stay in visa-free travel expired after February 24, 2022,
• right for Ukrainian citizens to work in Poland without work permit, based on a notification submitted by the employer to the labor office
• period during which Ukrainian citizens are eligible for a special 1-year temporary residence permit if they do not meet standard conditions for granting temporary residence permit
• facilitations in the procedure for obtaining  temporary residence permit for the purpose of running an individual business activity

At the same time, an announcement published by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Administration indicates that yet another amendment to the Ukrainian Special Act is to be expected soon and a further extension of the rights set forth therein until March 4, 2025 (in accordance with the extension of the temporary protection for people displaced from Ukraine introduced at EU level by decision of the Council of the European Union).

Download the PDF: here.