Minimum Salary Level for EU Blue Card Increased

The situation

Effective February 11, 2019, the minimum monthly salary for EU Blue Card applicants in Poland has increased to PLN 6,877.55, up 7.3 percent from last quarter.

A closer look

• Existing employees. Employers of EU Blue Card holders do not need to increase their foreign nationals’ salaries.
• Initial and renewal applications. Employers that filed an initial or renewal EU Blue Card application on or after February 11, 2019 must increase the foreign national’s salary to comply with the new rule. Immigration applications that do not meet the minimum salary will be refused.
• Pending applications. Employers of foreign nationals with pending EU Blue Card applications as of February 11, 2019 must increase the foreign national’s salary to comply with the new rule. Immigration applications that do not meet the minimum salary will be refused.
• Other permit types. New salary thresholds for other Polish permit types were announced in December 2018 and remain unchanged.

 

Reminders on other requirements

• Benefits and allowances. As before, benefits and allowances may not be included in the minimum salary calculation.
• Currency. As before, employers are required to guarantee the salary in PLN regardless of payroll location and/or exchange rate fluctuations.
• Dependents. As before, the salary must be sufficient to support the foreign national and any dependents during their stay.

 

Background

The EU Blue Card salary threshold is set at 150% of the average national salary, as announced quarterly by the Central Statistical office. The salary level, and in turn the minimum salary level for various work permits in Poland, depend on various indicators such as the unemployment rate and the economic conditions of the country.

The percent increase is typical as compared to previous years’ increases for this category.

Thresholds for the other work permit categories in Poland increased by 6-7 percent for this year.

Looking ahead

Several immigration-related changes are forthcoming in Poland, including legislation formalizing contingency plans for a no-deal Brexit, legislation on company liability for immigration law violations and implementation of the EU Students and Researchers Directive. Fragomen will report on relevant developments.

This alert is for informational purposes only. If you have any questions, please contact the global immigration professional with whom you work at Fragomen or send an email to [email protected].