Starost's opinion: labour market test abolished

The starost's opinion (informacja starosty), known as the labour market test, has not been a condition for issuing a work permit to a foreigner since 1 June 2025. It was abolished by the act of 20 March 2025 on the conditions of admissibility of entrusting work to foreigners. For new applications, this stage simply does not occur.

What the starost's opinion, or labour market test, used to be

Before the reform took effect, the employer reported a vacancy to the district labour office (powiatowy urząd pracy), and the office checked whether a candidate from the local labour market, unemployed or a registered job seeker, was available for the position. The office searched its own database, referred candidates to interviews when needed, and finally issued an opinion on the recruitment result. The result of this check, the starost's opinion, was a condition for issuing a type A work permit. The conditions reported to the office had to match those in the permit application.

When this step still applies

The exception covers only work permit proceedings initiated before 1 June 2025; these are completed under the old rules, with the requirement of the starost's opinion and the whole procedure described above. For applications filed from that date, the labour market test is not required, and a local restriction may result from the list of occupations described below. An employer starting the procedure from scratch today no longer reports a vacancy to the district labour office and does not wait for its response: this stage simply drops out of the schedule.

What replaced the labour market test

The mechanism now works in the opposite way to the old exemptions from the list of shortage occupations that the former procedure used. The starost may, on a justified request of the director of the district labour office, optionally establish a list of occupations for which a work permit is refused due to a difficult situation on the local labour market. In other words: instead of a list of exemptions from the obligation (as before), we now have an optional list of refusals. The starost may introduce such a list if the situation on the local labour market requires it, so before filing an application it is worth checking with the district labour office whether it applies in the given district.

What the recruitment sequence looks like today

Today, the work permit application is filed exclusively online via praca.gov.pl, and the employer must provide the office with a written contract with the foreigner. The order of the remaining steps, from the job offer to the permit decision, is set out in the text on recruiting foreign workers. Abolishing the test is part of the wider reform of 1 June 2025, which moved the entire procedure to the praca.gov.pl electronic system. A work permit is still a separate track from legalizing residence.

Old and new procedure at a glance

Frequently asked questions

Do you still need to carry out a labour market test when hiring a foreigner?

No. For applications filed from 1 June 2025, the labour market test, i.e. the starost's opinion, is no longer required. The obligation was abolished by the act of 20 March 2025 on the conditions of admissibility of entrusting work to foreigners.

Are there exceptions where the starost's opinion is still required?

Yes, one: work permit proceedings initiated before 1 June 2025 are completed under the old rules, with the requirement of the starost's opinion. New applications are no longer subject to it.

Is there currently a list of occupations for which the office refuses to issue a permit?

Formally, such a mechanism exists: the starost may optionally introduce it on a justified request of the director of the district labour office. Whether such a list applies in a given district is confirmed by the district labour office.

What is the legal basis for abolishing the labour market test?

The act of 20 March 2025 on the conditions of admissibility of entrusting work to foreigners, in force since 1 June 2025. The same act also introduced full digitalization of applications via praca.gov.pl.

The rules on residence and employment of foreign nationals change often, and much depends on citizenship, the basis of stay and the situation of the particular person. This text describes the general course of the procedure. Before filing documents, confirm the current state of affairs at the voivodeship office.