Romania’s long-awaited membership to the US visa waiver programme could be jeopardised, the Romanian Interior Minister explained.
According to a statement by Catalin Predoiu, the Romanian Interior Minister, the possible delay in Romania joining the US visa-exempt programme could be impacted by the new Trump administration, Schengen.News reports.
Currently, the new US government is carrying out some migration policies’ assessments and a colour-coded system for travel advice is being discussed. This means that travel from countries on the “red” list is forbidden, while travel from countries outside this category will have certain rules applied to them.
Romanian Minister Says “Technical Issues” Are Delaying Entry to US Visa Waiver Programme
Minister Predoiu recently confirmed that the membership to the US Visa Waiver Programme has been delayed due to technical issues. However, he did point out that this review is not being conducted for Romania alone but it is a broader evaluation of migration programmes.
The need to assess whether Romania is eligible for the programme was raised due to uncertainties over visa-free access.
This is not an issue related to Romania or the Visa Waiver itself but rather a reflection of the broader migration policy review undertaken by the new administration.
Bulgaria, Romania and Cyprus are also in the process of joining this programme, which allows visa-free entry to the respective passport holders for a certain period.
Is the Future of Bulgaria & Cyprus in the US Visa Waiver Programme Also Threatened?
Like Romania, Bulgaria and Cyprus have also plans to travel visa-free but with the new Trump administration, uncertainties could be raised.
However, Cyprus remains set on joining the US Visa Waiver Programme, with the country having plans to travel visa-free to the US in April. Currently, it is expected that a team of experts from the US Department of State and Congres to visit Cyprus before Easter, while the authorities are optimistic that Cypriots will travel visa-free to the US by next year.
Bulgaria also hopes to join the US Visa Waiver programme in 2026, although, compared to the other two countries, Bulgaria’s chances are slim.
The three countries, which are the only three countries in the EU that have not joined the US Visa Programme yet, are required to meet some requirements, including here the percentage of visa rejection rates being under three per cent.
This was one of the most demanding requirements, with Romania particularly struggling to meet the criteria.