Bulgaria’s Employment Agency has called a public tender for the building of a software system that will make it easier and faster to issue work permits to non-EU citizens.

The rationale is to remove barriers to hiring much needed professionals, particularly in the IT sector.

The introduction of a new automated system aims to link the Bulgarian government agency to a broader range of existing data bases and save time in processing the applications for work permits also known as ‘blue cards’.

However, the current practice of submitting the application forms on hard copy at the regional labour offices across Bulgaria will remain, capital.bg reported on Monday.

Workers from outside the European Union can apply to work in Bulgaria under the EU Blue Card scheme, which allows workers with a job offer to take employment in a member state.

The cost of the software project is BGN 100,000 (approx. EUR 50,000) free of VAT. The winner will faces an end-December deadline to implement the project.

The new software system should expand the operational capabilities of the one currently in use at the Employment Agency, according to the online edition of the Sofia-based business newspaper. The new system is expected to considerably speed up the process of processing the application forms by ensuring compatibility witn the existing databases of other government bodies such as the Foreign Ministry and the Interior Ministry.

About 600 applications for work permits submitted by foreign nationals are being processed annually in Bulgaria, according to data from the Employment Agency, capital.bg said.