EU BLUE CARD: WHAT’S THE NEW PROCEDURE
February 27, 2022
The common residence and work permit of the EU Blue Card type are granted to non-European Union nationals who are willing to be employed under employment relationships on the territory of the Republic of Bulgaria.
Foreign nationals should have higher education verified by the respective diploma, certificate, or another valid document according to their country’s legislation.
The EU Blue Card can be issued under the condition that the duration of the study is not less than three years. The family members of the Blue Cardholders may also obtain a long-term residence permit. It is valid for the duration of the EU Blue Card holder’s residence.
During recent years, the Bulgarian labor market experienced a significant lack of highly qualified employees. Therefore, many Bulgarian companies have decided to employ foreign nationals. Most often, they are looking for trained foreigners in the IT sector. The demand for foreign financial specialists manages in the field of service and tourism also increases.
Trying to facilitate the procedure for recruitment of foreign nationals at the highly-qualified position, the Bulgarian authorities adopted several legislative changes to the existing procedure for issuing common residence and work permits – the EU Blue Card. Such changes were adopted in 2021 and comprise the following new requirements and steps:
- The requirement to the candidate to submit documents to the Employment Agency was eliminated:
Now all documents prepared by the applying foreigner and their Bulgarian employer are submitted to the respective Migration Directorate, depending on the foreigner’s place of work.
2. Electronic exchange of data and documents was introduced:
Migration Directorate sends the documents to the Employment Agency ex officio for the latter’s opinion, which should be issued in short periods. Provided the Employment Agency requires additional documents for the candidate, such documents are submitted by the candidate/ employer to the Migration Directorate as well, which in its turn forwards them to the Agency.
Upon completion of all approval procedures between the Migration Directorate and the Employment Agency and upon obtaining the relevant positive opinions of the state authorities involved in the procedure, the Migration Directorate notifies the employer about the affirmative decision so made.
The employer is responsible to notify its future employee. They have 20 days time period to proceed with the submission of the required application and documents to the consular office of the Republic of Bulgaria to obtain visa type “D”.
Upon obtaining visa type “D” and upon arriving in Bulgaria, the foreign employee is obliged to appear before the respective Migration Directorate within 7 days to complete the entire procedure. Now the foreign national is not required to submit documents that have been already submitted in the course of the procedure again. They only need to present a copy of their passport and medical insurance policy valid on the territory of the Republic of Bulgaria.
We already have plenty of experience in providing legal representation services and legal assistance to Bulgarian employers about the new procedure for issuing the common residence and work permit – the EU Blue Card. Thus, we can conclude that the administrative burden of the procedure has been relieved. The proceedings are quite faster. This enables the respective employees to start working for their employer in the Republic of Bulgaria in shorter periods.
Another advantage of the EU Blue Card permit is the fact that after a specific period the candidate can change their work and enter into an employment contract in any other EU member state. The quick issue of residence permit to the foreigner’s family – spouse, children, is of great benefit too.
Law Firm Yosifova, Ivanov, and Petrov may assist employers at any stage of the recruitment of foreigners:
- upon entering into the employment contract /under condition/;
- in the course of the respective administrative procedures for a long-term residence visa, obtaining work and residence permit;
- upon making the respective registrations in the National Revenue Agency and the Chief Employment Inspectorate;
- in the course of the procedures for renewal of already issued EU Blue Card.
More information is available upon request sent to the email addresses specified in the „Contacts” section.
You can find more details in the following article:
EU blue card
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