Bulgarian Cabinet proposes changes to Foreigners Act
Bulgaria’s Cabinet is to propose to Parliament amendment to the Foreigners Act that will impose stricter requirements regarding applications for a long-term stay visa for people appointed as representatives of foreign companies.
The stricter requirements will cover prior checking on the actual business activities of the company abroad, the turnover and the origin of the capital of the company, according to a Cabinet statement after a meeting on April 27 2016.
The proposed amendments to the Foreigners Act also would, if approved, bring Bulgarian legislation into line with a European Court of Justice ruling that third-country – meaning, non-EU – nationals can enter an EU member state with a valid travel document and a valid visa that is affixed in an invalid passport.
The Cabinet also approved amendments regarding the granting of status to stateless persons.
The statement said that the amendments are in line with the Convention of Stateless Persons and the Convention on the Reduction of Cases of Statelessness that Bulgaria ratified in 2012.
A stateless person is defined as one who is not regarded as a citizen of any country in accordance with its legislation. The amendments govern the legal status of stateless persons and the conditions and procedures for issuing travel documents to stateless persons declared as such by Bulgaria or another country.
The proposed changes also cover the collection of biometric data and the issuing of identity cards to staff members of diplomatic or consular missions or representations of international organisations in Bulgaria, as well as their family members.
A special electronic register of cards issued will be set up at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and notification of registrations will be forwarded to the Interior Ministry, Finance Ministry and State Agency for National Security.
The proposed legislation sets specific rules regarding the submission to institutions of the documents of foreigners issued abroad and of evidence of family ties, by introducing a requirement that they be recognised or valid for implementation under Bulgarian law, the government statement said.
(Photo: Clive Leviev-Sawyer)
