Poland tightens visa rules for international students to prevent abuse
Poland has tightened its visa rules for international students. This action comes after Poland's «student visa scandal» that broke out in May.
Poland's Foreign Minister, Radoslaw Sikorski, announced a significant change in the country's visa policy, declaring that student visas will no longer be issued to foreigners without high school diplomas. The decision aims to prevent misuse of student visas by individuals seeking to work in the European Union illegally.
This move comes after a scandal exposed by the Polish daily Dziennik Gazeta Prawna revealed that some foreign nationals were obtaining student visas despite not meeting university admission requirements in their home countries. These individuals often failed to attend the universities they were registered at, instead using their student visas to work within the Schengen Area.
“A student visa grants the right to work for one year, which led to numerous cases where individuals obtained visas and never attended the university that facilitated their entry,” Sikorski stated in an interview with TVN 24. He emphasized the need for stricter regulations to ensure that only genuine students are granted visas, thereby protecting the integrity of Poland’s education system.
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The new rules, according to the foreign ministry, do not introduce any new legal measures but reinforce the principles of existing laws. The ministry also noted that the requirement for foreign students to have their diplomas verified by
