These days the Bulgarian government has announced plans for changes in the Law on Foreigners. There are planned changes in the visa regime that many see as tightening the rules. The government, however, claims that the major goal of the new regulations is for the visa regime to be in compliance with the experience of its practical application after the country joined the EU. Bulgaria has been EU Member State since the beginning of 2007. Since 1998 the law has been changed 20 times.

The most important change would be in issuing short-term visas because of the migration pressure. The validity periods, the number of entries authorized, would be defined by the consulates after assessing the migration risk. The most common short-term visa is the tourist visa and changing the law would prevent attempts of people using it for other purposes. Still, the visa preferences for actual tourists coming from important destinations for this country like Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus, will be preserved. 

There will be changes in the rules for issuing long-term visas to non-EU nationals doing trade business in Bulgaria, too. Such visas are mostly used by citizens of the Arab countries and China. From now on those interested in such visas will have to prove that they opened at least 10 jobs and paid at least 125,000 euro of taxes and social insurance. The changes aim at preventing using the visas for other purposes rather than trade.

One could appeal against a visa refusal only in terms of its lawfulness. According to experts, changes could prove very useful in stopping the transit of persons involved in terrorist activities. The changes are restrictive and would affect only part of the foreign nationals, subject to visa regime. However, the major goal is actually strengthening the legal entries to the EU. Bulgarian visas do not give the right for Schengen entry, but still under the agreement for EU Membership, this country keeps to the regulations of the Schengen Agreement.

The changes in the visa policy are not aimed at citizens of specific countries, but at certain illegal practices.  These days the government confirmed this by qualifying the Balkan countries as safe is the EU list. The aim of the list of safe countries of origin is to reduce abuse of the European Asylum System from citizens of countries like Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, and Turkey.

Bulgaria cannot allow showing discrimination towards the citizens of a number of countries because it is not only a destination for immigrants but a source of emigration and discrimination would cause a similar reaction towards Bulgarians abroad.

English: Alexander Markov