On 30 April the Bulgarian State Gazette published amendments to the Bulgarian law on foreigners. The changes aim to facilitate the extension of residence permits for third-country nationals (TCNs), especially for the purpose of seasonal work. 

The  amendments allow foreigners who legally reside in Bulgaria and hold a residence permit - other than the single residence and work permit, highly qualified employment and intra-corporate transfer - to also apply for an extension of the residence permit without exiting the country. 

The amendments also allow for the extension of the period of residence of foreigners performing seasonal work from a maxiumum period of 90 days to 180 days every 12 months.

The need for these changes has been well-documented in research papers such as Temporary home or final destination? The situation of migrant workers in Bulgaria published in 2020 by the Multi-Kulti Collective. During the fieldwork conducted as part of the research for this paper, former foreign students in Bulgarian universities who wanted to switch from student to work visas found that respecting the requirement to exit Bulgaria and re-apply from their country of origin took approximately 5-6 months. Furthermore, employers who hired seasonal workers highlighted that a 90-day permit was not enough to cover the needs of the summer and winter holiday seasons and have been advocating for the possibility of 180-day permits for seasonal workers.