Romanian Government Launches Campaign to Renew Expired US Visas in Effort to Join Visa Waiver Programme

The Romanian government has initiated a new campaign urging Romanian citizens to renew their expired US visas as part of an effort to join the Visa Waiver Programme. This programme allows for visa-free travel to the United States, and currently, Romania, Bulgaria, and Cyprus are the only countries not part of Schengen.

The campaign specifically targets Romanian citizens with US visas that expired within the last four years, urging them to renew their visas by September 30 at the latest.

One of the key conditions for Romania to achieve visa-free travel to the US is to maintain a visa rejection rate of three per cent for US B1/B2 visas, which cover business and tourist travel. Romanian Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu emphasized the importance of this initiative, stating that widespread participation could enable Romania to enter the programme by next year.

"There is a huge opportunity, valid until September 30, so I urge all Romanian citizens who have a valid B1 or B2 visa and those who have had such a visa to apply for its renewal. This way, we will achieve that refusal rate of a maximum of three per cent, and I am convinced that by mobilizing as many Romanians as possible in this campaign, we will travel to the United States without visas starting next year," said Prime Minister Ciolacu.

While Romanian representatives express optimism about joining the programme soon, Cyprus and Bulgaria have also begun their negotiations. Various security-related requirements must be met to join the US Visa Waiver Programme.

Last month, Romanian Ambassador to the US, Andrei Muraru, indicated that Romania is nearing its objectives and is in the final stages of joining the Visa Waiver Programme. However, the current rejection rate for 2023 remains high, at around eight per cent, according to Muraru. Conversely, the number of visas issued this year has increased, with the US Embassy reporting around 60,000.

Valentin Vătăjelu, the national coordinator for Romania’s accession to the Visa Waiver Programme, described the campaign as a “safety net,” noting indications that Romania is close to achieving the three per cent rejection rate requirement.

By fLEXI tEAM