Canadian applying for the European Residence Card in Poland

A Canadian friend of mine here in Warsaw is soon to be divorced from his Polish wife. He is living and working here (with the necessary papers) based on his marriage to a Polish citizen.

Of course now that all comes under threat. He was going to apply for something named "European Residence Card" ?? Which would allow non-EU citizens the same right to work and live here as EU citizens.

Does anybody on this forum have this document?
Now he has conflicting advice how to obtain it. One official in the Foreigner's Office at Długa 5 told him it is enough to live 5 years officially in Poland to get it... But the girl processing his file refused to do so, and told him he had to work five years here.

His lawyer found nothing in the legislation about the 5-year working aspect.
Would be great to hear experiences from other people.

I think the European Residence Card would be the same thing as "Dowod Osobisty" which every Pole is supposed to have. The 5-year _working_ period sounds bizzare, and I would be surprised if that was indeed correct.

EU legislation gives automatic EU permanent residency to anyone who has legally resided in an EU member state for 5 years.In a nutshell,they have to give to you.

The "girl" processing his file sounds like most of them I have met. They don't know the rules and make them up as they see fit. I'd ask a a couple other workers there and see what they say.

I have been flat out told something was impossible by one office multiple times only to have another office say "no problem" and do it in 5 minutes. There is no standard here.

You are kind of screwed trying to get the girl above to do anything as they will not make any effort to prove themselves wrong. I'd try to switch case managers.

This is what tell on the website of the foreigner's office:

mazowieckie.pl/news.php?id=5718

The thing is how to analyse it. Do you have to fulfil all conditions at the same time, or only one? After all fulfilling all conditions seems hardly possible...

I found young company, which helps with all this paper staff. Visit pol-in.pl They deal professionaly with foreigneres service

LOL - the site's only in Polish!!!