A number of 575 foreign citizens applied to obtain work permits in Moldova last year. Of them, 229 were from the European Union. The law on labor migration was adopted in 2008. Last year, the term for processing the applications for permits was reduced from 30 to 15 days. “This law will continue to be simplified. Now we are preparing a set of amendments regarding the employment of foreigners by companies,” Minister of Labor, Social Protection and Family Valentina Buliga said at Tuesday's meeting of the governmental Commission for European Integration, Info-Prim Neo reports. The minister said they are considering the possibility of decreasing the number of documents needed to obtain a work permit. The certificate about the criminal record might be excluded. Eighty-five of the 229 foreigners that asked to be allowed to work in Moldova last year are company managers, eight are engineers, four are athletes, 13 are teachers, etc. Minister of the Interior Victor Catan underlined the necessity of passing the bill on the foreigners' regime of stay in second reading. According to him, this document will considerably simplify the process of registering the foreigners who came to work in Moldova. Premier Vlad Filat said the attitude towards the foreigners in Moldova depends on the attitude towards the Moldovans working abroad.