Global-mobility professionals converged on Kraków on 26-27 February 2026 for “The ParadiGM Shift”, a conference co-hosted by Fragomen and the Association of International Lawyers for Immigration. On the closing day, Warsaw-based partner Karolina Schiffter chaired a panel titled “When Worlds Collide”, examining how Polish labour regulations often clash with EU-wide immigration rules when multinational companies rotate staff. Panelists cited the example of Poland’s 12-month cooling-off period for temporary agency workers, which can inadvertently violate EU provisions on equal treatment of posted workers if not timed carefully with National Visa type D validity. Speakers urged HR managers to map each assignment against both the Labour Code and the Act on Foreigners rather than relying on a single compliance checklist. The conference also showcased digital-compliance tools that integrate Poland’s new PESEL-based Trusted Profile with e-residence-permit portals, allowing companies to track renewal deadlines automatically. Pilot users reported a 30 % reduction in permit-expiry overruns, a statistic likely to interest employers facing steep fines after immigration audits by the Voivodeship Offices. Participants left with a workbook of Polish case studies, including strategies for assigning non-EU engineers to short-term projects without triggering the full labour-market test, a key concern for tech firms expanding in the Kraków–Katowice innovation corridor.
Source: Fragomen
