Poland Tightens Rules for Student Visas After Visa Scandal

Poland has introduced stricter rules for student visas following a recent scandal that revealed widespread misuse of the visa system.

Many international students were being admitted without proper checks on their qualifications, leading to a crackdown by Polish authorities.

According to Schengen News, Poland had been accepting large numbers of students from outside the EU without properly verifying their eligibility. This has raised concerns about the integrity of Poland’s education and immigration systems.

TravelBiz reported that while Polish authorities required foreign students to have their high school diplomas verified, many universities were not enforcing this rule. In response, the government has taken action to fix the problem.

New Visa Rules

Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski announced that from now on, student visas will only be given to those with verified high school diplomas.

This change comes after investigations showed that many foreign nationals were using student visas to enter Poland and work illegally in the Schengen Area instead of studying.

“The misuse of student visas is a serious problem, with many visa holders not attending the universities that allowed them to enter,” Sikorski said.

“We are putting stricter rules in place to make sure that only genuine students get visas.”

The foreign ministry explained that these updated rules are not new laws but are meant to strengthen the current ones.

By tightening the regulations, the government wants to ensure that visas are issued according to legal standards, protecting Poland’s education system from being abused.

Wider Efforts to Stop Visa Abuse

These new measures are part of a broader effort to fight corruption in Poland’s visa system, which has also been affected by a cash-for-visas scandal.

Several arrests have been made, including a former deputy foreign minister accused of giving out work visas in exchange for bribes.

TravelBiz reports that the new rules are expected to reduce the number of foreign students entering Polish universities under false pretenses.

By enforcing stricter entry requirements, Poland aims to attract only serious students, ensuring that its universities remain credible.

The Polish government is determined to stop visa fraud and make the visa process more transparent.

With these stricter rules, Poland hopes to be a destination for genuine international students while preventing the visa system from being used for illegal work opportunities.