Challenges of moving from the Poland to the UK involve complex immigration laws and visa applications. Just one misstep — delay or even denial of entry could affect your personal and professional plans. Let an expert team of immigration solicitors help you with your relocation. Leave all your worries behind and rest assured regarding having every aspect of your move managed efficiently and in compliance with UK regulations. From securing an appropriate visa to enter the country to understanding the minutiae of residency in the UK, our services help you to move seamlessly.
The Success Story: Read about how A Y & J Solicitors helped this Poland client relocate to the UK and made the process easy, ensuring timely entry into the UK.
At A Y & J Solicitors in London, we've helped thousands of new and experienced business owners move to the UK from around the world. We understand the typical challenges that come along with your visa application for self-sponsorship UK and know how to mitigate them. We walk you through step by step, showing you how to self-sponsor a work visa in the UK. Instead of going it alone, let our lawyers take the weight off your shoulders, so you can rest easy knowing you'll be able to bring your business (and family) to the UK.
Kate Corey, Founder of 6 Degrees
We are specialists in immigration law and have supported more than 4,000 business owners and professionals around the globe to successfully navigate the British system. We work quickly, always responding to any queries within 24 working hours. And we work closely with the Home Office to pre-empt issues before they jeopardise sponsorship applications or breach compliance. We manage all United Kingdom immigration matters including visa applications under the new points-based immigration system, Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR), Spouse Visas, nationality, and more. We also handle complex cases of appeal, administrative reviews, judicial reviews and the many immigration challenges involving European Union law and human rights.
A Y & J Solicitors has more than 1,200 positive client reviews across Google and Trustpilot and is listed in The Legal top 500 best UK law firms, so you can rest assured your immigration challenges are in safe hands when you take these three simple steps:
"A big Thank You to Rajvinder Kaur for her assistance and guidance in our extension for spousal visa application. Raj provided us with accurate and timely information making the application to confirmation experience easier. She was always readily accessible and prompt in her actions towards the case. The journey of a visa application can be emotionally and mentally draining...Thanks Raj for helping us sail through. We have used the services of AY & J Solicitors previously for my entry visa application and Thank You Diana for leading us in the right hands. Deepali & Tapan Chavan."
"A Y & J Solicitors made my visa process smooth and hassle-free. They were supportive, detailed, and incredibly quick to respond. Highly recommend their professional and efficient service!"
"AY & J Solicitors offer exceptional service second to none. It's been great working with them after an initial setback using another service. They took my very difficult case and turned it around. Super grateful."
"Wonderful people to work with & prompt response. Admire the thorough due diligence prior to submission while keeping posted regularly on the process' development. Cheers."
"I have a very good experience with A Y & J SOLICITORS for the great work they are doing for me. I would like to special thanks to AMY Felix- George, who has been very helpful, supportive and professional, I am really grateful for the job that she does for me. Also she is very time conscious, I got update about my application time to time from her. She was available on email and phone calls very professionally. AMY Felix- George was my case worker and I don't have the correct words to describe how brilliant and professional employee of A Y & J SOLICITORS. I have no hesitation in recommending your services. Thank you"
"Very professional with clear communication and very supportive throughout the process"
There are countless benefits for Polish citizens of moving to the UK, not least the economic, cultural, and educational advantages. Despite the UK’s departure from the UK, we enjoy a robust economy with access to many well-paid job opportunities. As an illustration of this point, the UK has a very low unemployment rate of just 3.8%.
If you are a Polish business person or entrepreneur, you will benefit enormously from the low levels of administration and bureaucracy.
Culturally, the UK boasts a proud and rich history and cultural heritage with many museums, galleries, and historical sites. In addition, we have beautiful countryside, villages, mountains, hills, and lakes.
When it comes to education, the UK has some of the world’s best schools and universities, including Oxford, Cambridge, Edinburgh, St Andrews, and University College London (UCL), to name but a few.
We also have a transport network that spans the whole of the UK, including roads, railways, and airports, which makes it easy to travel within the UK and internationally.
As a Polish national, the legal requirements that you need to meet to move to the UK will depend on whether you plan to work, study, run a business or join family members here, as follows:
If you plan to come from Poland to the UK to work, the UK Skilled Worker visa will allow you to bring your family members with you and stay here for up to 5 years. After this time, you can apply for permanent settlement and citizenship 1 year later.
To qualify for a Skilled Worker visa as a Polish national, you first need an offer of employment from a UK employer with a sponsor licence. Your job must have a salary of at least £38,700 per year or the ‘going rate’ for your occupation. You may qualify for a lower salary threshold if:
You will also need to meet the English language requirement by passing an approved Secure English Language Test (SELT).
To study as a Polish national at a UK university, college, or school, you must be at least 16 years old and have a place on a course with an educational provider in the UK. The education provider must have a sponsor licence, which gives them permission to sponsor international students. You will also need to demonstrate that you have sufficient funds to support yourself and meet the English language requirements.
Once you have completed your course of study in the United Kingdom, if you wish to stay longer, you can apply for a UK Graduate visa. This will enable you to stay for a further 2 years, during which time you can find permanent full-time work. If you find work with an approved sponsor, you can switch to a Skilled Worker visa, which will allow you to get permanent residency after 5 years and citizenship 1 year later.
The UK Innovator Founder visa is for Polish and other EU nationals who want to establish and run a business here. A bonus of this visa is that you can gain accelerated permanent residency after just 3 years, rather than the 5 years required for most visas.
To qualify for a UK Innovator visa, you must have a business idea that has been endorsed by an approved endorsing body as being innovative, feasible, and scalable. You must also meet the English language requirement and have sufficient funds to support yourself and any family members while in the UK.
The UK family visa will allow you to stay in the UK for up to 5 years, after which you can apply for permanent residency and, 1 year later, UK citizenship. You can apply for a family visa as a Polish or EU national if you have a partner/spouse, parent, or child who lives in the UK with permanent residence or British citizenship.
The exact rules you need to follow will depend on your relationship with your UK-based family member. For example, to apply for a spouse or partner visa, you and your partner must have a combined income of £29,000. You will also need to meet the English language requirement.
When setting up your finances in the UK, you will need to consider your banking arrangements, national insurance, and tax. When opening a UK bank account, you will need to show proof of your identity and your permanent UK address. We recommend waiting until you get to the UK to open your UK bank account. Once in the UK, you will need to apply for a National Insurance (NI) number before you start earning money.
If you are employed, your sponsor will take any tax you owe automatically through the ‘Pay As You Earn’ (PAYE) system, meaning there is nothing for you to do. If you plan to be self-employed in the UK, you must submit a self-assessment tax return each year. An accountant in the UK can do this for you.
Did you know that around 700,000 Polish nationals live in the UK? In fact, this number doubled between 2008 and 2019, reaching over 1 million people in 2017. As the UK was a member of the EU during that time, this significantly increased immigration to the UK from EU countries, including Poland. Of course, at the end of 2020, the UK left the EU. If you are contemplating a move from Poland to the UK, whether to work, study, or join your family, the good news is that it is still very much possible to do so.
This guide aims to give you plenty of information to make your relocation from Poland to the UK as easy and seamless as possible. Here, we will explain the legal requirements for Polish nationals moving to the UK, the cost of living here and how it compares to Poland. We also provide a useful relocation checklist and answer many of the most frequently asked questions regarding relocating from Poland to the UK.
As a result of the UK’s departure from the European Union (EU) on 31st December 2020, Polish nationals now require a visa to live, work, study, or run a business here. Indeed, this is the case for all EU and non-EU nationals. There are many UK visas available to Polish nationals, and with the guidance and support of a UK immigration lawyer, making a successful visa application can be simple and hassle-free.
According to the cost of living comparison website Numbeo, the cost of living in Poland is 32.9% lower than in the UK, and when rent is factored in, this rises to 36.2%. The cost of eating out in the UK is 43% higher than in the UK, and food prices are 34% higher here.
While the cost of living in the UK is higher than in Poland, there are two important points to bear in mind. Firstly, the wages can be much higher in the UK than in Poland. Secondly, the cost of living in the UK varies significantly across the UK. Choosing to live outside of London and the South of England can significantly reduce your overall living costs, especially rent.
At A Y & J, we helped hundreds of families and individuals relocate from the EU to the UK since Brexit. We know from first-hand experience that by taking the right approach to emigrating to a new country, the whole process can be made stress-free and seamless. We recommend taking the following steps to make your journey as smooth as possible:
The Self-Sponsorship route is an innovative immigration option for citizens of Poland who wish to move to the UK but would prefer not to go through the process of finding employment. Instead, using this route, applicants set up their own business in the UK and sponsor themselves. The UK self-sponsorship route provides a direct pathway to permanent residency, and 1 year after you have secured settlement, you can then apply for British citizenship. A Y & J can guide you through the self-sponsorship application process and help you benefit from all that this innovative immigration route has to offer Polish nationals.
Non-Polish nationals, like Polish nationals, must apply for a visa to emigrate to the UK. Again, you have a wide range of visa options available to you as a non-Polish national. At A Y & J, a member of our expert immigration team would be pleased to advise you on the best visa for your needs based on your nationality, background, family ties to the UK, and whether you plan to work, run a business, study or join family.
If you are a non-Polish national with plans to join a family member in the UK, you will need to apply for a UK family visa before doing so. You must have a partner, child, or parent living in the UK who either has British citizenship, indefinite leave to remain (ILR), or the right to live here as an EU/EEA national who started living in the UK before 1st January 2021 (i.e. Brexit), or refugee status. Having held a family visa for 5 continuous years, you can apply for permanent residence and then British citizenship 1 year later.
The required documents depend on the visa you are applying for. For example, if you are seeking a UK Skilled Worker visa, you will need the following:
Yes, since the UK left the EU, Polish nationals need sponsorship from a licensed UK employer to apply for a work visa. Alternatively, you can consider the self-sponsorship route, which involves starting your own business in the UK and sponsoring yourself.
If you are considering moving back to the UK from Poland, it is advisable to review your banking arrangements, credit rating, and national insurance contributions. Living outside the UK for several years may have impacted your credit rating, making it more challenging to secure a mortgage or obtain credit. Additionally, consider the tax implications if you have lived in Poland for over five years. Also, check if you need to ‘top up’ your National Insurance contributions to qualify for a UK state pension.
Yes, but Polish citizens and their family members need a visa to live in the UK. Please refer to the visa options explained above.
Yes, Polish nationals are able to work in the UK, but they do need a job offer from a sponsoring employer, a certificate of sponsorship, and a work visa from the UK Home Office.
Polish nationals can apply for a UK visa online via the UK Home Office website. The process includes filling out a form, paying application fees, and submitting the required documents. A UK immigration solicitor can provide assistance throughout this process.
Refer to the legal requirements for moving from Poland to the UK above.
The length of stay varies according to the type of visa. Polish nationals can visit the UK for up to six months without a visa. Work visas are valid for up to five years and can lead to permanent settlement. Student visas cover the length of the course, with the possibility of applying for a graduate visa, which grants an additional two years to find employment. Family visas are issued for up to five years.
A Y & J Solicitors is a specialist immigration law firm with extensive experience with all types of visa applications. We have an in-depth understanding of immigration law and are professional and results-focused. For assistance with your visa application or any other UK immigration law concerns, please contact us on +44 20 7404 7933 or at contact us today. We’re here to help!
