Last month the Deputy Prime Minister for Economic and Demographic Policy Valeri Simeonov announced planned simplifications in the procedures for hiring specialists from outside the European Union via the so called “EU Blue Card”. Part of the document requirements for candidates will be removed and employers will no longer be obliged to publicly announce vacancies.
According to the most recent data from the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy, the biggest number of specialists from non-EU countries are hired by the ICT sector. A total of 55 out of 67 blue cards issued in Q1 2017 were for positions in the ICT sector. Some of the other areas include education, construction, manufacturing, hotel and restaurant management and health care. The biggest number of blue card recipients for both permanent and seasonal labor and for all sectors come from Ukraine, Russia, China, Moldova and Macedonia.
For 2016, the most work permits for foreign citizens were granted to US specialists. A total of forty “blue cards” were issued to US citizens; mostly school teachers and athletes, followed by Serbia – 33, Turkey – 23, Russia – 16, Canada – 15, Tunisia – 14 and Ukraine – 13. A total of 70 blue cards were issued specifically for European countries outside the EU, mainly for Ukraine and Russia.
The EU Blue Card is issued for up to 1 year with the possibility of renewal if all the necessary conditions continue to exist. The forthcoming changes in the hiring procedures of foreign specialists are expected to make it easier for employers to find qualified foreign workers when the local market proves insufficient.